Fox and Deer
by swirlheart
Summary: After returning home from a failed mission, Shikamaru and Naruto realize they've been turned into animals. But how and why? Whose fault is it and why did they fail the mission in the first place? They better get cured fast before their animal minds take over completely. Please read and review. Thank you.
1. Bad Feelings

Naruto fanfiction: Fox and Deer

After returning home from a failed mission, Shikamaru and Naruto realize they've been turned into animals. But how and why? Whose fault is it and why did they fail the mission in the first place?

Naruto and its characters belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. This is just a fanfiction. I make no profit. This was just written for fun.

**Chapter 1: Bad Feelings**

It wasn't the lunch they were expecting. Once Naruto, Shikamaru and Sai returned from their mission, their friends got together to have a celebratory lunch for a job well done. Unfortunately, it was planned a little too prematurely. They had assumed the group would return victorious but that was not the case. Naruto's team had failed their mission and the lunch passed with most of them sulking. Naruto and Shikamaru kept throwing glares at each other during their meal. Sai merely watched without a word. He seemed disappointed about failing a mission but he wasn't taking it nearly as bad as the other two.

"So..." Sakura took her chances and asked a question. "What exactly happened on your mission?"

"Ask him!" Naruto and Shikamaru had together. Their eyes locked for a moment then they turned away from each other.

Sakura knew she wasn't going to get any further than that. "Ok, then."

"Oh, buck up, you two," said Ino. "It couldn't have been that bad."

Shikamaru stabbed at his food with his chopsticks. "If he would learn to just listen for once in his life..."

"Hey, I did listen!" Naruto snapped. "You didn't listen to me!"

"I was appointed team leader! You do as I say!"

"And I say I had no choice!"

"You always have a choice, Naruto! You made the wrong one!"

"I did not!"

"We failed the mission because of you! Because you never listen and always do what you want! That's why we failed!"

"It is not my fault!"

"Yes, it is!"

The others watched them pass words back and forth across the table until finally Shikamaru stood up and walked away.

"Forget it," he said. "I'm not hungry."

Naruto snorted and turned away. "Emotional much?"

"I just don't feel like talking right now, ok? I'm out of here." Shikamaru turned and left the restaurant. Choji stood up and followed after him, but not before stuffing his face with the last bits of food on his plate.

Naruto sighed, his face softening slightly as he watched Shikamaru leave his sight. "It wasn't my fault..."

"Just let him blow off steam, ok, Naruto?" said Sakura. "He's pissed off. He's going to say things he normally wouldn't say."

"I didn't know he would get so pissed, though."

"Shikamaru did give us orders and you did disobey them," said Sai.

"I know but I had a good reason for it! I still say it wasn't my fault."

"What exactly happened anyway?" Sakura asked again. She was dying to know.

Sai answered this time and gave them some good information. "While on the mission, we were forbidden to use Jutsu of any kind. Ninja are forbidden on the land we went to. Even after we were told this and after Shikamaru made us swear not to use any of our ninja skills, Naruto used the Shadow Clone Jutsu and blew our cover. That is how we failed the mission."

"I see."

Ino rolled her eyes. "I'm with Shikamaru on this one. It sounds like it's all your fault, Naruto."

"I had no choice! I had to do it. There was no other way."

"Wasn't there something else you could have done?"

Naruto shook his head. "You guys weren't there. It wasn't my fault. I did what I had to do." Naruto could feel everyone staring at him and couldn't bear it anymore. "Sorry, guys. I've got to go." He stood up and left the table.

After a failed mission, it was perfectly understandable why no one would be the mood to celebrate. Or be in any good mood in general. Naruto hated failing a mission but this one was different. Shikamaru seemed to be really pissed off and put the whole blame on him alone. Naruto was convinced it wasn't his fault. He felt he had done everything right. It was a bad combination which only led to everyone feeling much worse.

"Hey, Naruto!"

Naruto hadn't noticed him until he heard his name. Kiba was waving at him, Akamaru in toe. "Hey, what's up, Kiba?"

"Nothing much. So you're back from your mission. How'd it go?"

Naruto lowered his head. "We, uh... failed."

"Aw, man. Sorry to hear that. Is everything ok?"

"Not really. Shikamaru's pissed off at me and says it's all my fault. I didn't do anything wrong, though."

"Ah, give him space. He'll come around. He probably just wants to sulk for a while."

A low rumbling sound caught Naruto's ear. At first he thought it was thunder, but the skies were clear. Then he realized it was Akamaru. He was growling. Naruto looked to his left, then to his right, then behind. No one was there. Akamaru was growling at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Why are you growling at me?"

Naruto reached out with his hand and Akamaru snapped at it and barked loudly. Naruto pulled his hand back just in time.

"Hey!"

Kiba turned to his dog. "Hey, buddy, what'd you do that for?"

Akamaru kept growling, showing his teeth the more Naruto looked at him.

"What's up with him, Kiba?"

"Don't know. He's always been fine with you. This is a first."

Akamaru backed up behind Kiba, growling low. He tugged on Kiba's jacket with his teeth, trying to convey a message to him.

"I don't get why he's so upset. He must be sensing something."

"I just ate some meat. Could that be it?"

"Nah. This is different."

When Naruto tried to approach, Akamaru barked. Naruto backed away. "Maybe I should keep my distance from him for a while."

"Yeah, maybe. Sorry about that." Kiba patted Akamaru's head. "Come on, what's wrong with you, boy? What's gotten into you?"

Not wanting to upset Akamaru further, Naruto said good-bye where he was and walked off. "Jeez. Is everyone pissed at me today? What did I do?"

* * *

Down the street, Choji was prying his friend for information. Shikamaru started ranting at once, letting all his frustrations come flooding out.

"He deliberately disobeyed me. I told him not to do it and he did it anyway! It's his fault we failed the mission. I don't understand why he couldn't go one day, one day, without using Jutsu. And of all the ones to use, it had to be his most famous one. That stupid Shadow Clone Jutsu... He couldn't not use it. Just once."

Choji patted Shikamaru's back. "I know, I know. He screwed up. But don't you think you're overreacting just a little bit? I mean, I never see you get this mad."

Shikamaru sighed. "I'm just pissed. After the Sasuke thing, I promised myself I would never fail another mission." He sighed again. "Plus... I mean, I told him. I told him! He doesn't listen. And he uses that Jutsu way too much. Maybe he did it out of habit, I don't know. But because of him we failed."

"It's Naruto's bad. Don't beat yourself up about it."

"You weren't there, Choji. You didn't hear the things they said to me. As the team leader, I had to take responsibility for it. Everything he did was on me." Shikamaru lowered his head. "And we started a big mess because of it. Not only that, but we're no longer welcome on their land because of this. A lot of things got started because of this. If only Naruto didn't use that move, that one move... we could have avoided all of this. Things are a real mess now over there. And it's all his fault."

"Jeez..." Choji didn't know what to say. He wanted to know what had happened but he was afraid of prying too much, especially when Shikamaru was already upset.

"Don't worry about it," said Shikamaru. "I just need some time to get over it. That's all. It only just happened so I'm going to be angry for a while."

"Well, vent to me if you want."

Shikamaru grinned, feeling a little better. Having a friend nearby always helped cheer him up on a bad day.

Shikamaru's stomach started to gurgle and Choji looked down. "You didn't eat much. You want to head back and finish your meal? A full stomach should help you feel better."

"I guess so." Shikamaru didn't really want to go back if Naruto was going to be there. He was still upset with him. It would take some time. Even if he was ready to let this slide, it wouldn't be easy with Naruto insisting that he had done nothing wrong. It was always harder to make amends to someone who felt everything was on the other person and they were the ones who were wronged. The last thing he wanted was to go back to the restaurant and have Naruto smugly look at him and ask if he was ready to stop being a baby and admit that he was the one in the wrong. The very idea made Shikamaru's stomach turn.

It really did. His stomach was in knots. Shikamaru hunched over, grabbing his stomach.

"Are you ok?" Choji asked.

"My stomach..!" Shikamaru stuck his head between his knees and tried breathing slowly in and out. "I feel sick."

Choji crouched beside him, rubbing his back. "What should I do? Should I get something?"

"No, it's fine. Don't." He started to feel dizzy. His whole body was heating up. "I'm not too far from my house. I'll just lie down in bed or something."

"Need me to walk you there?"

"No, I can make it on my own. I don't want you to catch what I have." Shikamaru struggled to his feet and started to walk towards his house. Choji followed him until he was halfway there then left him on his own.

The walk back to his house was a blur. He felt lightheaded and dizzy. Even his legs were starting to go numb. It felt like he was trying to walk a straight line on a trampoline. Occasionally he would stumble but he never fell. Finally he made it to his door and went inside, leaning against the wall with his shoulder.

"Shikamaru, is that you?" His mother's voice sounded like he was hearing it from under water. She came into the hallway and started scolding him. He didn't make out what she was saying. Most of the time he treated her voice like white noise. However, he did manage to hear her voice make a sudden shift in tone. "Are you alright?"

"I'm ok, mom."

She put a hand to his forehead. "Baby, you're burning up." He knew it must have been bad. She only called him baby when she was very concerned and her mother instincts kicked in. "Poor thing. What did you do? Did you catch something on your mission?"

He felt his stomach lurch and he pressed his lips tightly together to keep from vomiting. He felt like he was hanging upside-down. "I don't feel well. I just want to lie down."

"Ok. If you're going to be sick, aim for the bucket. I'm not cleaning your mess, sick or not."

"Yeah, yeah, ok." Shikamaru dragged himself to his bedroom and closed the door. His room was the same as when he left it. There really wasn't much in it. The only thing he cared about was right in front of him: a bed. He staggered over to it and and collapsed. Only his torso made it onto the bed. His legs were still on the floor. With great effort, he managed to pulled himself up onto the mattress. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

The pain in his stomach stretched to the rest of his body. His stomach was suffering from terrible cramps which were now in his lower stomach, his chest and his shoulders. The pain went to his back next and soon every inch of his body was overflowing with pain. He felt like someone had his insides in a vice. Was this food poisoning? No, he barely touched his food and they ate there all the time. Choji ate the same thing he did, only more of it, and he seemed perfectly fine. Maybe he did catch something on the mission.

Shikamaru hung his head over the side of his bed and started heaving. They were just dry heaves. He had never felt like this before. His head was throbbing. He shut his eyes tightly and prayed for it all to end soon. He hoped this was something he could sleep off.

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto was back home muttering to himself. "It's not like I meant for this to happen. It was a dumb rule anyway. I mean, if they can't have anybody using Jutsu then why ask for a ninja's help? It doesn't make any sense. And they were clearly overreacting. Hey, I helped out a lot on that mission. If anything. He owes me for doing what I did. There is no way in hell this whole mess is my fault."

He kicked a pile of empty ramen containers over with his foot and watched them scatter.

"If he wasn't in such a bad mood... What am I saying? I said I was sorry. What more does he want? There's only so many times I can say it and still mean it. I saved lives doing what I did. And he gets pissed at me? How is that fair? That's the last time I do the right thing if this is how he's going to react. Forget it."

His stomach started to gurgle but he ignored it. He was too busy ranting to notice.

"I said I was sorry. That should be good enough for him. I don't get why he's so mad at me. I didn't do anything wrong. It's not my fault. Hey, if he wants to be a jerk about it, let him. Not my problem. I didn't know he'd react like this. What a... Ow!"

Naruto hunched over, grabbing his stomach. He supported himself on the table with his other hand. His stomach was in knots and rumbling. He felt like he was going to be sick. He tried walking but his legs weren't working properly. After just a few wobbly steps, he toppled over and sat on the floor of his kitchen hanging his head low.

"I was fine a second ago. What's wrong with me?"

His head was swimming. He felt dizzy and nauseous. His head started to throbbing. He had to lie down. The longer he was upright, the worse it became. He literally crawled to his bedroom and dragged himself into bed. He pulled himself up on his bed sheets and rolled onto the mattress. Even in bed, the felling didn't get better. It got worse. He rolled back and forth on the bed, trying to get relief.

"Why is this happening? Why do I feel this way? What's going on?"

Soon Naruto managed to get some relief when he finally passed out on the bed. He hoped this was something he could just sleep off. Hopefully when he woke up, everything would be better.

* * *

Let's see where this heads.

Please review!


	2. Flashback

**Chapter 2: Flashback**

Naruto, Shikamaru and Sai arrived at their destination in the evening. The sun had just set when they arrived at the entrance of the village. Immediately they knew something was up. There were no women in the village. None whatsoever. Not even children. The man who called for their help took the group into a building and gave them a proper greeting. The man had scars on his shoulder and one on his chin. He had a reseeding hairline and tanned skin from working in the sun all day. He started to explain what he wanted from them, but he was vague.

"So what is it exactly that you want us to do?" asked Shikamaru.

"There's a competition going on right now and we need people to participate. You may have noticed that there are no women in this village."

Naruto looked around. "Yeah, I was wondering about that."

"They're the prize," said the man. "Our women were taken from us and are being held hostage by a group of men just on the edge of the village. We have to compete to get them back."

"That doesn't make any sense," Naruto said, confused. "Why?"

"These men feel that the women cannot be properly taken care of by us. They said they want to see if we are capable of protecting our own. If we can compete and win, we get our women back. If not, they keep them. Mothers, daughters, wives... they're all gone. We have to get them back but no one in this village is strong enough to do it. The tasks they have us doing are very hard. So fair no one has been able to come close. That's where you come in."

"I see," said Sai. "Because you lack the ability to win, you've hired people who can."

"Exactly. You'll be competing in our stead. Since these people don't know everyone in the village, it'll be easy. You'll just have to masquerade as locals and compete."

"That sounds easy." Naruto didn't see a downside.

"The issue is..." said the man. "... that ninja aren't allowed to compete because it would be considered cheating. They'll know if you're using ninja skills. Those aren't allowed."

There was the downside.

"Then what the hell are we doing here if ninja can't compete? That doesn't make any sense at all!" Naruto yelled.

"You just can't use any ninja skills, that's all!" the man begged. "As long as they don't find out you're ninja it'll be ok. Please, you have to help! We'll never see those women again if we don't win. Please!"

The trio looked at each other.

"Well..." Shikamaru spoke first. "It'll be a challenge... but we'll do it."

"Say what?" Naruto couldn't believe it.

"All we have to do is what the man said. As long as we don't use any ninja techniques they'll never know we're ninja. Simple."

"But we are ninja," Naruto complained. "How are we supposed to do this? It's crazy. They hired ninja to not be ninja? How does that make any sense?"

"Ninja go undercover all the time on missions. This is no different," Shikamaru said.

"How are we not supposed to use them? I mean, they hired ninja because they need our skills and now we're being told we can't use them. Our skills give us an edge. Isn't that why we were hired?"

"True... but ninja are trained from a young age. In fact, we learn certain skills before learning Jutsu," said Sai. "How to build up our strength, stamina and speed. This will be a challenge, but it shouldn't be too difficult."

"He's right. We have to pretend we're not ninja," said Shikamaru. "We'll do things with our own strength and used what we've learned."

This was a headache. Naruto couldn't wrap his head around the very idea. "Ok, ok... So how do we do this?"

Shikamaru removed his Chunin jacket and headband and set them on the floor. "First, we get rid of these." He held out his hand. "Naruto, your headband."

"What? Why?"

"They'll know we're ninja if we're wearing a ninja headband. It's a dead giveaway right there."

Reluctantly, Naruto removed his headband and set it down. Sai did the same. They removed all of their weapons as well. Even the hidden ones, just in case they were discovered. Plus, that way there would be no temptation. They looked each other over, making sure there was nothing about them that set them part from normal villagers.

"Alright," Shikamaru spoke again. "Now that we look the part, we have to act the part. It's like he said. No ninja arts. Which means... absolutely no Jutsu. Of any kind." His eyes rolled to Naruto. "This means no Shadow Clones."

"I got it."

"And no Ras-"

"I know, I get it. Why are you looking at me? Sai's here, too."

"Yes, but you're the one who uses Shadow Clones for everything. You use them on a whim, so much so that it's something you do without thinking about it. I want to drill it into you that you cannot use them at all."

Naruto frowned. "Hey, I've seen you use the shadow thing when you were too lazy to get up and reach something."

"I know better for this and it was one time. You can't use it, got it?"

"I got it. I promise, no Shadow Clones."

"Good. Other skills we cannot use are the wall-climbing techniques we've learned and walking on water."

"What about Taijutsu?"

Shikamaru thought about it. "It's martial arts... it may be too closely linked to skills used by ninja. I say if you have to use it, only the very basics. Things most people would be able to use. Punching and kicking. That sort of thing. But nothing major. Definitely no Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. We can't use anything that would give us away. It'll be like using what we could do before the academy. Is everyone clear on this?"

"Yes."

"Yeah."

The next morning, they would enter the competition to win back the village women and they would have to do it while pretending to be average villagers. Their clothes and weapons would give them away so they couldn't carry them. Using any ninja arts were forbidden. Basically they were asked to fight with their limbs tied behind their backs. This wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

The next morning, Shikamaru went over the plan again, making sure everyone knew they couldn't use any Jutsu or any other ninja skills. After that, a few of the locals including the scarred man who hired them, took them to where the competition would be taking place. There was a lake just outside the village and on the other side was a large tower. According to the locals, it used to be an old bell tower but it hadn't been used in decades. The bell itself was long gone. Some of the local children used it as a hide out when they played but their parents didn't want them anywhere near it because it was supposed to be dangerous. It was old so it must have had rotten wood and loose floorboards, but it was also very tall. Falling from the very top would either cause serious injury to an adult and most likely death in a small child. As Naruto got closer to the building he realized that death was more likely to happen to someone who fell off the tower. It was even taller up close.

From the very top of the tower, a man appeared. He didn't look like a bandit or anyone fitting the description of the average terrorist. He looked like a normal villager. Other men showed up, all dressed similarly to the first. They didn't look like the type of people who would normally pull this sort of stunt.

"Who's playing today?" asked the first man. "You need at least three."

The scarred man gestured to Naruto, Shikamaru and Sai. "These three. They're our best and have worked hard to get here today. They'll do it. They'll win."

"You said that about your last two groups. We'll see how well they do. If they win, you may have your women back. If not, we keep them."

Naruto whispered to Shikamaru. "I don't get why we don't just go in there and beat the crap out of them and rescue the girls."

"That isn't what we were hired to do. Besides, hostage situations are very complex. Notice how we can't see the women? If we go charging in there, those guys might end up killing the girls before we can get to them. Plus there's no way of knowing if they're actually in there. If we go in and start fighting, it could all be for nothing and we could end up starting something else. They could go after the men in the village for calling for help. Just stick to the plan, ok?"

"Yeah, fine."

The man in the tower spoke loudly so everyone could hear. "You'll have three tasks and you must pass each and every one of them. Your first task will begin over there." He pointed to the other side of the lake. "You'll fight one of our strongest. Each of you will."

Naruto was happy about this. It was a spar. It was no different from his fights with Lee. This should be easy.

Nothing was ever easy. Once they got to the other side of the lake, they realized it was a sword fight against a very large man with a shaved head. Naruto didn't know how to use a sword. That never stopped him before. He'd win for sure.

Sai went first. The goal was only to win, not to kill the other person. He was just supposed to disarm him. The man was wearing light armor and Sai had nothing. Still, when his combat training kicked in, he was able to overpower his opponent. Shikamaru went second. It took him a little longer, but he was also able to disarm the man and won the match.

Now it was Naruto's turn. In the back of his mind, he wondered if he could use Jutsu discretely. It was too big a risk. Someone might see. These men must have been trained to spot ninja arts so using one, even if it was well hidden, was taking too big a chance. He had to do this on his own.

As he swung the sword given to him, it bounced off the man's blade and back at him. His opponent's sword swept through the air and Naruto had to bend backwards to avoid the tip. Once he found his footing, he knew he could win. He swung, pushing hard against the man's sword with his. At this point, he was only holding the sword. He wasn't using it. He was using his own strength to push the man back. He didn't need to know how to use a sword, he just had to disarm this guy. He treated the sword like a kunai and wedged it between the other sword's hilt and pushed upward. The sword flew out of the man's hand and Naruto pointed his blade to the man's throat, winning the match.

That was easy enough. They didn't need to use their ninja skills. This was going to be a cakewalk.

"Your next task begins over there at the lake," said the man. "I've left an object underwater and you must retrieve it."

"Under the water?" Naruto scoffed. "That's easy. We can dive under there no problem."

The man continued. "There are beasts under the water you have to avoid."

"What kind of beasts?"

"Gators. In fact, one of them has an object I want you to get for me. It's up to you to find out which one. And I'm not going to tell you what the object is. Good luck."

The trio looked at each other. This was an event where their ninja arts would come in handy. If they were under water maybe they could use that as a cover and use their skills without anyone seeing. Shikamaru discouraged this, even though he was tempted to do it himself. There were too many people watching them. The men in the tower, the ones by the lake and the one on the boat floating on the surface of the water. It was too big a risk. They had to stick to the plan.

"There's an object we have to find. Should we all go in to look for it at the same time and split up? Or should we each go in one at a time?"

"It doesn't matter," said one of the men on the shore. "As long as you're all in the water. You have ten minutes, by the way so I suggest you start."

Time was wasting. They took off their shirts and dove into the water. The water looked pretty clear on the surface but the deeper they swam the more murky it became. So far, there weren't any animals under the water. Not even fish.

Something brushed against Naruto's leg and he spun around. It was a branch. When he looked back he saw Sai riding on an alligator's head, keeping its mouth clamped shut with his arms. Naruto swam over to help. Another one was on its way. Naruto avoided its jaws but the tail slammed into his back, forcing some air out of his lungs on contact. It swam back, mouth agape. It was wearing an anklet on its front leg. Was that the object they were supposed to find? A third arrived attacking Naruto from behind. It tore off a piece of his pants, missing his flesh. This one was wearing a collar around its neck. Was that it? Was that the object?

The one Sai was trying to subdue bumped into Naruto, forcing out more air. He turned around and punched the gator on the nose. The water slowed his movements. It wasn't enough to hurt the gator very much. Just annoy it. The anklet gator swam beside Naruto and opened its mouth. Shikamaru slammed into it from the side, making it miss its target. Another one slammed into Shikamaru. Naruto could see the bubbles leave his mouth. They needed to surface for air soon.

Naruto decided to go first. That way he could come back and help distract the gators while they went to get air. He swam up towards daylight. He broke the surface and took in a deep breath. Something brushed against his leg. It was heavy. Then a sharp pain in his leg and was suddenly dragged down. He held his breath. The collared gator had a hold of his right leg just above the ankle. It started to roll. Naruto rolled with it, trying not to scream out in pain and lose the air he had just breathed in. Pinching his nose shut with one hand, he grabbed onto the collar and held on. Shkamaru came to help him and tried to pry the gator's mouth open with his hands. It was pointless. The gator's jaws were too strong. Sai swam over to help. Even together, they didn't have even strength to open its mouth. Shikamaru pointed down and they swam under the gator's belly. The next thing Naruto knew, he and the gator were heading for the surface.

As soon as he felt the air on his face, Naruto let out the scream he had been holding in. "Get it off me! Get it off!"

Shikamaru and Sai shoved the gator onto the bank and worked frantically to get its mouth off Naruto's leg. "Get me that stick!" Shikamaru wedged a stick between its jaws. It wasn't enough to pry its jaws open, but that wasn't what he was trying to do. "Another! Quick!"

Naruto beat the ground with his fist. "Hurry up! It hurts!"

"Hang on. Just a second."

Naruto felt the teeth slowly lift off his leg and he quickly pulled it out. When he looked back, he saw the gator's mouth filled with sticks. They had wedged in just enough to make it loosen its grip but it was still biting down. Naruto looked at his leg. It wasn't too bad given the circumstances. There were four teeth marks in his leg and he was bleeding. Sai handed him a cloth and told him to bind his leg.

"It's not too bad. Maybe you'll need stitches but it's too soon to tell." Shikamaru looked around. "Is there a medic?"

One of the men from the sidelines came over and looked at the leg before it was bandaged up. "It's not bad. He won't need stitches. He's fine."

Naruto wrapped up his leg with the cloth and tied it off. He knew this was nothing to worry about. He was a fast healer. By the time they got him treatment, the wound would probably be little more than a few scratches. He gave his leg a test, bending it and straightening it. He applied pressure on it and stood up. "I'm ok. No problem." He walked around with barely a limp.

"Are you good for the final challenge?" asked the man who had come over.

"We're this close to finishing. We might as well see it through," said Sai. "As long as Naruto can endure."

"Wait a minute," said Naruto. "We're not done with this challenge, are we?" Everyone was so busy trying to free his leg that no one found the object they were supposed to bring back. Have they?

Shikamaru held up both the collar and the anklet. "We brought back all of them just in case."

The man pointed. "The anklet."

"Yes!" Naruto cheered. "That means we did it. We won another challenge. Bring on the next!"

They were given their final task.

"It's a race across the lake. There will be many obstacle in your path. At least two of you must finish. The more the better. Your race will take place on those small rafts you see on the bank. One to a raft."

Sai looked at the small rafts. There were tubs bigger than these and they had less holes. Each raft was different. Some were in better shape than others. One looked like a large board of wood, another looked like a bunch of logs tied together and the last one looked like a large wooden bucket someone would wash their dog in or do their laundry. None of these looked ready to sail to anything but the bottom of the lake. Then Sai noticed something else. "Where's the ore?"

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "How do we paddle these things without ores?"

"There be your challenge," answered the man. "Oh, and this is a race. You know what that means, right?"

"That we'll be timed," answered Shikamaru. "Based on what, though? What is the time frame we'll be racing against?"

The man pointed to the tower on the other side of the lake. There was a woman balanced on the roof of the old tower, her arms tired behind her back. "You're racing to catch her before she falls. So I suggest you start moving."

"You're putting her life in danger? Are you insane? She's innocent!"

"We're challenging you to see if you're capable of protecting your own. If you can't save that woman from falling then you don't deserve to protect anybody. Mainly because it proves you can't."

Naruto was getting ready to take a swing at him but Shikamaru held out his arm. "We don't have time," he said. "The race has already started and we're killing time as it is. We have to hurry. Beat him up later."

He was right. That woman came first. They had to race to the other side to save her. They each ran to a different raft and got on. Naruto was on the one that resembled a large board, Shikamaru the logs and Sai was in the wooden tub. Sai had the sense to grab one of the sticks they had used to open the gator's mouth and use it as an ore. Shikamaru had done the same. But Naruto was already on the water, paddling with his arms and legs. When he looked back he saw the shore still in his sights. They were going so slow!

"Hell, I can swim there faster than this."

"Ah-ah!" A man waved his hand it the air. "You must cross with your raft. If you are not on your raft or at least touching it with a part of your body, it doesn't count and you'll automatically lose the challenge."

"That's a load of-"

"Naruto! Paddle!"

This was no time to throw a fit. He had to get there as fast as he could. "So I have to be touching the raft, right? No problem." Naruto jumped into the water while holding onto the raft with his hands and started kicking his legs. Having his injured leg in the water did irritate the wound but he worked through the pain. So far so good. He was moving quickly across the water now.

Then he felt something brush against his leg again.

"Oh, not this again." Naruto climbed onto the raft as a gator snapped at his feet. "Right. There are gators in the water. I forgot."

"How could you forget?" asked Sai. "We just finished prying one off your leg not two minutes ago."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at him. Then he sat and wondered how he could do this. He couldn't go in the water or the gators would get him and he didn't have a paddle or anything to row with. He was wasting too much time thinking about it. He had to act. Naruto started paddling with his arms, pushing his raft forward.

Shikamaru's arms were aching and they were only halfway across the lake. This was hard work! He looked up at the tower. The girl was still teetering on the edge of the roof. They had to get there fast before she fell. A fall from that height with her arms tied behind her back would probably kill her. He prayed they made it in time.

Sai paddled as fast as he could. So far he was in the lead. Then his stick caught on something underwater and his tub stopped. CRACK! He pulled his severed stick out of the water, now no longer than a paintbrush. The gator brushed against the side of his raft and slipped back under the water.

"Sai!" Shikamaru passed him his stick. With Sai in the lead, it made more sense for him to keep going and let the slower ones catch up. Sai took the stick and pulled his way across the water as fast as he could.

CRACK! Naruto's raft was bitten in half by a hungry gator. He just managed to back away in time as it took out a chunk from the front of his raft. Naruto balanced on his severed half looking left and right. There was a piece of his broken raft floating on the water a little ways away from him. He snatched it up and stroked his way back into the race. Now he was moving even slower!

The woman screamed, toes hanging off the edge of the building. There wasn't much time left.

SNAP! Sai's borrowed stick snapped again. It was still workable. Only the end was taken off. He continued to paddle but with the other stick. A rock bounced off his shoulder and he turned around. Men were throwing things from the shore at him. They said there would be obstacles. Sai tried to ignore them and paddled harder. Then his raft started tipping. His feet were wet. He looked down. There were more holes in the bottom of his tub. He was sinking. Not only that but the gator bumping into him was causing the tub to tip to one side. More rocks pelted him, making it even harder to keep his balance. Then he saw the gator's mouth. The tub was torn to bits and Sai was knocked into the water.

"If you grab a piece of the wood it still counts as the raft. You can just swim to the finish line," Naruto yelled out to him.

"No," called one of the men. "Because he let go of the raft went he fell in and his raft is gone. Your friend's out of the race."

Shikamaru was stuck. He had no way to paddle and now that Sai was in the water unprotected he was worried Sai would end up gator food. Sai started swimming towards him with the stick in hand, trying to pass it to him.

Naruto paddled like crazy toward the shore. He was almost there. Just a few more yards and he would be there. He paddled with both arms, hunching over on his tiny raft, the broken piece in his lap. It was actually faster this way. This time when he looked up, he saw a man reach for the young woman as she balanced on the edge of the roof. It looked like he was trying to grab her to pulled her back. Startled by his hand, she suddenly lurched forward and over the edge.

"No!"

She screamed, falling head first toward the ground.

He would never make it in time. The shore was too far away, even though now he was the closest to the bank. She was going to fall to her death. He had no choice.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

With that his promised was broken along with their cover.

Two clones emerged and grabbed his arms. They flung him forward toward the shore with all their might. Naruto touched land once as he jumped and caught the woman just before she hit the ground, the broken piece of his raft closed in his fist. His clones vanished at once, but the damage was already done. Everyone had witnessed what he had done.

"Are you ok?" he asked the woman.

She nodded her head, tears in her eyes from fear. "Yes."

He just saved her life.

"Treason!"

Naruto's heart started pounding at the man in the tower and his loud tone.

"Ninja! They're ninja! Treason!"

Naruto untied the woman and helped stand her up. "Hey! She was going to die if I didn't do anything."

"Ninja are forbidden on this land! How dare you!"

"Then I'll have a do-over. Come on, we'll race again and this time I won't do it. Fair, right?"

The man in the tower fled into the building. That wasn't a good sign. Another man appeared and took the woman with him. An even worse sign. Naruto tried to stop them from leaving but more men had shown up to block his path.

"Naruto, you idiot!" Shikamaru and Sai were soaking wet but on shore and coming at him, fast. Shikamaru made it there first and started scolding. "What have you done?"

"It was an accident. Sort of. I mean, I didn't mean to. Well, I did but... If I-"

The scarred man approached them next and pointed at Shikamaru. "You're the leader, right? Come here. Now!"

Shikamaru had to wait to yell at Naruto. Right now it was his turn. Trying to look as apologetic as possible, Shikamaru followed the man to the other side of the tower.

Naruto looked around at the lake. All the men who were there before were now gone. The water looked still and empty. Were the gators gone, too? The lake was empty and silent.

He knew he had messed up. Bad. Very bad. But if he hadn't done what he did, that woman would have been killed. He was certain he had done the right thing by saving a life. There was nothing else he could have done.

* * *

When Shikamaru returned, he looked like he had just been through hell. Upset didn't even begin to describe how he looked. He went to stand with the rest of the team when the man started speaking to them.

"Off the land."

"Come on," Naruto tried to reason with him. "If we could just-"

"No, it's over. You broke the rules. I broke the rules. Ninja aren't allowed to compete. Your cover is blown. Even worse, now we're not allowed to compete anymore because of this."

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. Those men no longer trust us to play by the rules so now we're not allowed to compete for them again. They are keeping the women indefinitely."

Those women were going to be kept? They weren't allowed to return to their village?

"That's not fair!" Naruto barked. "Now that they know we're ninja, let's just go over there and kick their asses and take those women back by force."

"We can't do that," said the man.

"Why not? These are the weirdest hostage people I have ever seen! What kind of kidnappers want people to play for the safe return of the people they've taken? It makes no sense." Naruto couldn't understand it. "Plus, why don't you want us to go after them and bring those women back? Don't bother with these stupid tasks they want you to do. You should have just hired us to go in and take them back! Why did we have to compete? We can just rescue them the way we know how and not do all this crap."

"We can't do that," the scarred man said. "And we can't let you do that either."

"And why not? You know we could."

"Because we agreed to their terms!"

Naruto stopped yelling. "Huh?"

The man sighed heavily. "When they came to the village, they asked us to bring forth all our women and we agreed. Then when they said they could have a competition so we could win them back, we agreed. We agreed to all their terms and rules."

"You agreed to let them do this?" Now Naruto was really confused. "But why?"

"It's a long story." The man went on. "But when we saw that no one could make it past the first two tasks, we knew we needed help so, going against their rules, I went out and hired you three ninja to compete in our stead. In doing so we violated the contract we had with them. We had hoped they wouldn't find out but when you did that..."

"Sorry. I just didn't want her to die. It looked like-"

"Enough," the man interrupted. "What's done is done. They've seen it, they know what went on, and now they've taken the women away. I had a bad feeling this would happen, but I was so desperate."

For a long time, he just stood there without a word. Then he paced the ground in small circles. Then he stopped and shook his head, looking at the sky. At last, he spoke to them again.

"Consider your mission a failure. Get off our land."

Naruto tried to get a second chance to save those women. "If we just go after them, we could-"

"I said no! Don't you understand? I agreed to their terms. Going after them is a mistake. There is nothing more you can do and nothing we want you to do. Now go home!"

"So you're just going to abandon those girls? You're an idiot!"

"Naruto!" Shikamaru snapped and he stopped yelling.

The man turned back to him, glaring. "Without rules, we are no more than beasts. One must not only abide by these rules but be truthful to them as well. Harbor nothing and be honest."

"Huh?" Naruto cocked his head.

"That is what the leader of that group told me when we had agreed to his terms and took the women away. Now I'm starting to see what he meant." He pointed. "Off our land. And don't you come back."

"But-"

Shikamaru held out his arm and stopped him. There was nothing more they could do. They were sent away. Their mission was a failure and their employer could no longer stand the sight of them. It was over. It was time to leave before they started something else.

As they left the village, carrying all their hidden ninja supplies and headbands, Naruto felt the need to say something. He couldn't leave things the way they were. He wanted to make things right.

"Even if the guy doesn't want us to, why don't we go find those women ourselves and rescue them? I don't see why-"

"This is all your fault, Naruto!" Shikamaru snapped, turning around. "Just shut up, will you? It's over. We failed. Because of you!"

"Me?! What did I do?"

Shikamaru held up his index finger and pointed it in Naruto's face. "One thing! I asked you to do one thing and you couldn't do it! Now look! What did I tell you? No Jutsu! And what did you do? You and your stupid Shadow Clones! You overuse that Jutsu so much it has become a habit! Even when we say not to use it, you used it anyway! You never listen!"

"Hey, I saved someone's life!" Naruto shouted back.

"Yeah, and condemned many others! Those women are never coming back. Naruto!"

"So you're saying I should have let one person die so we could get another chance to save others? At least we know they're alive. Isn't that better? I saved a life. If not for me, she would have been dead."

"And do you know what is going to happen to the other women they have?"

"No."

"Neither do I or anyone else. Since they're keeping them, it's possible that they are all going to be killed or who knows what else. Saving that one person's life wasn't worth what had happened!"

Naruto shoved Shikamaru, making him stumble. "That's why I say we go back there and save them, even if that scarred guy doesn't want us to!"

"We don't even know where they are, where they went, or where the women are or if there aren't any others in other locations."

"Shikamaru's right," Sai said calmly. "We were only hired to do one thing. Not to rescue anyone. We can't do what you're saying. That's not what we were hired to do."

"We can't just leave them!"

"And we wouldn't have to if you hadn't done what you did!" Shikamaru shouted. "It's your fault, Naruto! No one else used a Jutsu but you! This failed mission and whatever happens to those women are on you!"

"It's not my fault!"

"You did the Jutsu after we said not to!"

"I told you-"

"And now I'm telling you!" Shikamaru shouted over him. "I just got chewed out by that scarred guy and you don't want to know some of the things he said to me. Naruto, do you understand that what you do is a reflection of me?"

"How?"

"As team leader, I am responsible for whatever my teammates do. Everything that happened was put on me. He said some pretty hurtful things to me, Naruto, the least hurtful of which was telling me that I have no leadership skills and cannot control the people in my squad. I get the blame, do you get that? And what makes it even harder, is having someone not take responsibility for their own actions! You did the Jutsu! It's your fault! Own up to it!"

"I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Naruto, we are banned from returning to this village! He told me so before we left. We are never to return there again!"

"So what?" Naruto turned away, folding his arms. "I didn't do anything. It's not my fault."

Shikamaru looked like he was ready to punch him. Instead, he turned around and started marching.

The rest of the journey back to the Leaf Village was made in silence.

* * *

Well, now we know.

Thoughts?

Please review!


	3. Fur Flies

**Chapter 3: Fur Flies**

Shikamaru opened his eyes and found himself in a familiar place. He was in his bedroom. He looked at his small bookcase, his dresser, this rug, his closet, his backpack. Everything was as it was before. Everything looked perfectly normal. He looked down at the shogi board he left on the floor. He still hadn't gotten around to picking that up. Eventually he would but not now. He was still groggy.

He stretched out on the bed, something thumping against the headboard. It must have been his head. Strange, he didn't feel any pain when he hit his head. Maybe he was still half asleep so it dulled his senses. He opened his mouth and yawned. He was feeling a lot better. Maybe all he needed to do was sleep it off. He didn't feel sick anymore.

Now he had to go into the kitchen and see if his mother had dinner ready yet. She was going to be upset with him if he didn't show up for a meal she worked so hard to make. Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the thought. His mother wasn't happy unless she was complaining about something. He should get a move on before she started pounding at his door. He moved to get out of bed.

He couldn't sit up. Odd. He tried again. His body wouldn't cooperate. He tried lowering himself onto the floor with his left leg first and slide out from there. So far so good, then his body went tumbling all at once onto the floor with a loud thud. He lifted his head. Why weren't his limbs moving properly? His body was taking a long time to wake up it seemed. He tried standing.

Clop. Clop.

He stopped. That was an odd sound. He looked around. He was still on all fours, but something was off. It looked like he was standing up. Everything was in his normal field of vision but he was still on all fours. If he were on all fours, his perspective should be a lot shorter than this. Did he grow in his sleep or something? He tried standing on two legs. He pushed off from the ground with his arms. He was a lot taller now. Too tall. He wasn't normally this big standing up. His legs wobbled. He couldn't stay upright. He lost his balance and fell back down on all fours.

Clop. Clop.

There was that sound again. To test it, he walked to the left. The noise happened again.

Clop. Clop. Clop.

It was his movements. Every time he took a step that noise would occur. But why? That noise. It sounded a lot like...

Shikamaru looked down. He saw hooves. He lifted his right arm. The right hoof lifted off the ground. He stomped his arms on the ground and the hooves matched his movements.

"No way..."

He trotted over to his closet. There was a mirror hanging on the inside of the door. He would use that. He tried to open the door but the hoof couldn't get a good grip. He kept trying. Finally he managed to open it. The door swung open and he looked in the mirror.

He saw the reflection of a deer. A six pronged male deer with brown eyes. His eyes. He winked, and so did the reflection. He opened his mouth and so did the deer. He tilted his head to the right and then the left. It mirrored his every action flawlessly. The deer was him. He had turned into a deer.

"Ahh!" Shikamaru screamed and backed away from the mirror frantically. He bumped into his dresser, his board game, this backpack. "This has to be a dream! Wake up! Wake up!" The image in the mirror never changed. Running into things caused him pain. This wasn't a dream. This was real.

His mother knocked on the door. "Shikamaru, what is going on in there? Stop that racket right now and get in the kitchen. Your father isn't back from his mission but that's no reason to not have dinner together. Get your butt out here now."

He ran to the door hearing her walk away. "Mom! Mom, wait!" He couldn't open the door like this. His hooves couldn't turn a knob. He kicked the door with his hooves, trying to get her attention. "Mom! Mom!" He tried turning the knob with his teeth. It worked. He opened the door and ran into the hall. "Mom!" She wasn't here. She must be in the kitchen. "Mom!"

There she was at the table, laying out the food to be eaten. Two places were set at the table. One for her and one for him.

"Mom!"

She turned around. She jumped at the sight of him.

"Mom, it's me. Something happened and now I'm-"

"Deer!" She grabbed a broom and started beating him over the head with it.

"Ow! Mom! Ow! Stop it! Ow! It's me! Stop! Ow! Ow! Mom, knock it off! Ow! It's me! Shikamar- ow!" She wasn't listening to him. She kept swinging the broom at his head. "Mom, stop! Ow! That hurts!"

"Shoo! Shoo! Get out! Out of my house!"

He had no choice. He backed toward the front door and went outside. She kept swinging until he was out into the street.

"And stay out! Shoo!" She slammed the door behind him.

"But mom!" It was no use. She wasn't listening to him. He sighed and looked around. Some people were eying him from where they stood and others had yet to notice. To them, seeing a deer this close must have been amazing. But he wasn't really a deer.

Why was he a deer anyway? He felt sick, went to bed, woke up and now he's a deer. How did this happen?

His eyes narrowed. "Naruto..." He turned and galloped down the street. He had a bone to pick with a certain annoying blond ninja.

* * *

Naruto woke up in his own bed in his own room. He didn't remember falling asleep but he was happy he did. He was feeling a lot better. "I knew I just had to sleep that off. All I needed was a nap." He looked out his window at the sky. The sun was still out but he could tell evening was fast approaching. "It should be about dinner time now. I guess I should get something to eat."

He started to stretch. His foot landed on something soft and he felt a slight pinch. He looked down. It looked like a furry pillow. He didn't remember having anything like that. He tried pulling it out from under him. When he did, he felt a sharp tug on his body. "Ouch!" It felt like someone was yanking on his tailbone. The fluffy object moved between his legs. It was a tail. "What the hell is this?" Was there an animal in his bed?

He got out of bed and stood on the floor. Nothing was in bed with him. He felt something touch his legs and turned. There was the tail again. Right behind him. Poking out from the back of his pants.

"What the hell?"

He gave the tail a tug and felt pain. This tail was attached to him. It was his tail. An orange fluffy fox tail.

"Oh, cool!" Naruto wasn't bothered by this as much as he should have been. The idea of having a tail was actually pretty neat in his book. Plus, it was nice and soft. He stroked his new tail with his hand. "Oh, wow, it's so soft." It wiggled involuntarily. "Ha ha!" He started chasing it, running in circles where he stood. This was fun!

After a few minutes, he got tired of this and started to wonder why on earth he had this tail in the first place. How did he grow one in his sleep? He couldn't have taken more than a two hour nap at most. This tail was the real thing, very different from the Chakra tails he grew from time to time in the heat of battle or during training. This was an actual fox tail.

"Maybe I should go to a doctor or something. Maybe I can ask Sakura. Who knows? She may think it's cute and treat me like a pet. That'll be awesome." Suddenly all he could think about was Sakura cuddling him and stroking his fox tail. He decided to go see her first.

Naruto left his apartment without bothering to try hiding his tail. He thought it was cool. He started down the street toward the hospital where Sakura assisted the doctors from time to time. Naruto wasn't sure if she was just volunteering or if she actually worked there. Either way, he knew that was a good place to start.

"Naruto!"

He turned around and saw a deer galloping towards him. It halted, stirring up dirt under its hooves.

"Naruto!" it shouted in a familiar voice. "What the hell did you do?!"

"Sh... Shikamaru?" Naruto leaned in its face. It had his eyes and his voice. "Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. Now what did you do?"

"Me?!" More blame on him now? "What do you mean what did I do?"

"We came back from the mission just fine, we were pissed at each other and now I'm a freaking deer!"

"Hey, I didn't do this! Besides, look." Naruto held up his tail. "I've got one, too."

Shikamaru looked at the tail, calming somewhat, but he was still upset and panicked. "And that doesn't bother you at all?"

"No, why would it? I've got a tail. How cool is that?" Naruto was smiling, undaunted by this strange transformation. "And you're a deer. That's pretty neat, too, don't you think?"

"Hell no!"

"Come on! What's so bad about being a deer? Your family works with them, don't they? Plus, it matches your name. What's the problem being a deer?"

"Naruto... deer are hunted for meat and their antlers. People eat deer!"

Naruto blinked. "Oh... Oh, yeah."

Shikamaru was quick to blame Naruto for this but this didn't seem to be his doing. He was changing into an animal, too. Now that he had calmed down, Shikamaru looked around, trying to think of where they should go to get help.

"I'm going to try and find Sakura. Wanna come?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

They went to the hospital and started searching. Naruto asked nurses if they had seen Sakura anywhere. One nurse knew exactly where she was and pointed them in that direction. At the end of the hall, Sakura was coming out of a room on the end.

"Sakura!" Naruto came running over with Shikamaru by his side. "Sakura, hey, we could use your help."

She looked at the deer in surprise. "What's with the deer?"

"It's me, Shikamaru."

"We need your help, Sakura," Naruto said again. "Something weird is going on and we're not sure what it is. Can you help us?"

"I can try, but what's with the deer?" she asked, pointing.

Shikamaru blinked. "I just said it's me. I'm Shikamaru."

"He just answered you."

Sakura frowned. "No one answered me, Naruto. Now tell me, what is up with this deer?"

Shikamaru blinked again. "Sakura, didn't you hear me? I just answered you. Don't you understand what I'm saying?" He turned to Naruto. "I don't think she understands me. Naruto ask her if she understands."

"Uh... Sakura, don't you understand him?"

"Understand who?" She looked annoyed. "You mean the deer?"

"Yeah. He just said who he was. You didn't hear him?"

"Of course not. I don't speak deer."

Naruto looked at Shikamaru and back. "He's speaking just fine. I can understand him."

"He's making animal sounds. That's all I'm hearing."

Shikamaru's mouth opened. "She... she can't understand me. Naruto, am I speaking deer?"

"You sound fine to me. I can understand you ok."

"Yeah, but she can't. Naruto, you have to tell her who I am."

"Ok, ok." Naruto pointed to the deer. "Sakura, this is Shikamaru. He's been turned into a deer."

She looked at the deer. "Are you serious? This is really Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru nodded his head up and down.

"How did this happen?"

"We don't know. That's why we need your help. I'm getting like him, too." Naruto held up his tail. "See?"

Rather than cuddle him the way he had hoped, Sakura looked shocked. "Naruto, you have a..! What the hell did you do?"

"What is this, blame Naruto day? I didn't do anything!"

"Well, I don't know what to do! I deal with sick people and people with injuries. Not animal transformations! We have to go see Lady Tsunade."

* * *

The Hokage was always busy doing paperwork but was always happy to take a break from it to do just about anything else. Seeing the trio come in, she jumped at the chance to help them, not only to avoid doing paperwork but because they were in serious need of help.

At first, it was like a regular doctor visit. She listened to their hearts and checked their temperature. Then she asked them a series of questions.

"Look, we just became like this after when we got back to the village after our mission. That's it. We didn't do anything out of the ordinary."

Tsunade nodded. "I see. Unfortunately, I've never heard of anything like this happening. I can tell you that this is not the work of a Jutsu. At least not one I'm aware of. I just tried using a release but as you can see it didn't do the trick. If I try anything else without having more information about this, I could make things a lot worse. That's all I'm willing to try right now."

"We changed after the mission and..." Shikamaru stopped. "Right, she can't understand me. Naruto, you have to translate everything I'm saying."

"Why me?"

"Because you're the only one who understands me."

Naruto groaned. "I don't get why no one else can understand you but me."

"Maybe because we're both animals. Me more so, but since you seem to be turning into a fox, technically that makes you an animal too so you should be able to understand animal language," Shikamaru explained.

"You probably understand him because you're both turning into animals, Naruto," said Sakura. She had understood Naruto's question and answered it, not knowing that Shikamaru had already finished explaining.

The deer sighed, annoyed. This was going to be a pain if no one understood him except for Naruto and they needed questions answered. If he had something to say, Naruto had to translate. That sounded very time consuming to him, but there didn't seem to be another way.

"If this happened when you returned from your mission, then I think it's safe to say that a spell was placed on you two during that time. After all, you didn't leave on good terms with them," said Tsunade.

"So they may have been cursed?" asked Sakura. She looked worried.

"They were fine when they left. They failed the mission and were sent home. When they returned, they're... as you can see." Tsunade gestured to the boys in her office. "I think you should go back to that village and see what you can find out. With any luck, they'll have a way to change you back."

"Why?" Naruto practiced wagging his tail. It wasn't the easiest thing to control but with was fun to try. "This isn't so bad. I kinda like it."

"Naruto, this could get worse!" Sakura looked very concerned. "You could turn into a full animal just like Shikamaru. We can't leave things the way they are."

"It may be even worse than that," added Tsunade. "If he's turning into a fox, something can happen to the seal. We have no idea what this transformation could do to you or the nine-tailed fox."

"Good point."

Naruto hadn't thought abut that. What if turning into a fox loosened the seal? What if he turned into the nine-tailed fox itself? This was serious.

"Naruto." Shikamaru nudged him with his head. "What about Sai? He was in the village with us. What if he's an animal, too?"

"You're right! We have to find him." Naruto had forgotten all about him. Sai was with them on the mission and so far everyone who went to that village started to turn into animals. "Grandma Tsunade, we have to find Sai. He was with us at the village for the mission. He might be an animal, too."

Tsunade's response wasn't good. "He already left on another mission. I sent him out this afternoon."

"What?! Call him back!"

"I can't. He left over an hour ago."

"Did he look funny to you? Anything animal-like about him? Did he mention feeling sick at all today?" Shortly after feeling ill, Naruto turned into an animal. Shikamaru was the same way.

"No. He seemed fine."

Naruto and Shikamaru looked at each other. "Maybe he didn't get cursed? Maybe it's taking him a while?"

"In any case, let's focus on you two first. When did you change?"

"Uh... a little while ago? I took a nap and when I woke up I had this tail. I slept for a couple hours, I guess. No more than two."

Tsunade nodded. "That was around the time Sai was in my office getting his new assignment. Nothing was odd about him."

"Except for the usual..." Naruto muttered. "I don't get why you gave him a new mission the same day he comes back from one."

"We're very busy and he's a high ranking ninja. It's not uncommon." Tsunade walked to the door, leaving. "Wait right here, I'll be back in a minute."

* * *

When Tsunade returned, she brought two people back with her, neither of which were Sai. It was Shino and Ino. They stood beside Sakura in a line. Ino kept glancing at Shikamaru muttering something to herself.

"I'm sending you on a new mission. Sakura, Ino and Shino will accompany you. Shino will be team leader."

"Why them?" Naruto complained. "Why these guys? Can't we do this on our own?"

Tsunade threw him a look. "I'll explain it to you in a way hopefully you can understand and accept. Usually more than two people are sent off on missions. You know this. Given the circumstances, you'll need a team more so. Shikamaru can no longer speak in a way we can understand but you can. You'll have to translate. But over time, I fear you may become more like him in that you will also no longer be able to communicate with human beings. In which case, you'll need people around to help you. They know your situation, so they'll be able to ask people for help. It seems pretty pointless for you to go all the way to that village only to arrive as complete animals and have no one understand you. What do you think will happen then?"

"Ok, good point."

"In addition to that, I've made sure to assign people from your usual squads to help you, since they know you best and have skills which should help you on this mission. Sakura from your team and Ino from Shikamaru's."

"Why not Choji?" Naruto and Shikamaru asked at once.

"Because of Ino's Jutsu. Who knows what will happen on the mission? Her skills could be of good use on this mission... especially if one of you decides to go running off." Tsunade glared at the soon-to-be fox. "I have many reasons for assigning who I did. And as I've said before, Shino will be your team leader."

"But that's five people. That's a pretty big team, don't you think?"

"It's three people if you don't count the animals," Ino said smugly.

"But why Shino?"

"Because he has good tracking skills which may come in handy on this mission."

"Why not Neji?" Naruto asked.

"He's already on a mission. He left yesterday."

"Hinata?"

"She went with him."

"Kiba?"

"You and Akamaru don't seem to get along. Kiba told me how he reacted to you this afternoon. I don't think it's such a good idea."

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"He's on a mission, too."

"Bushy-brow?"

"He's on a mission with Gai and Tenten. Naruto, there is no one else available. Shino is the only one free. He has no assignments and he hasn't had one in days. He's willing and able so stop complaining. He'll do fine."

Naruto sighed. They were stuck with him. "I just don't want him to give me fleas or something."

"Keep talking like that and I will."

Naruto stuck his tongue out.

"So," Tsunade continued, "you will head out immediately to the village Naruto and Shikamaru just came from in order to find out what had happened to them and how we can fix it."

"Can't they just go and we'll stay here?" Naruto asked. "We just came back and now we have to go out again?"

"What if they have a way to fix you but you have to be there in order to do it? Then they would have to come all the way back here to fetch you and then go all the way back there. That's a lot of running around. It's just easier if you go along. Besides, it would be nice if you were there to show everyone what happened to you. It could make it easier for them to know what's wrong with you other than taking someone else's word for it."

"And Sai? What about him?"

"Let me worry about that."

Shikamaru nudged Naruto and asked him to translate.

"Uh... Shikamaru says it would be hard for us to go back because... say again? Oh. Uh, because the people at the village said we were banned and can't go back."

"Still, only your team was banned. Not these three. It should be fine with that loophole. In any case, you have to go back if you want any hope of changing back."

"And if we're fine with it?"

"You're going anyway, Naruto."

Ino approached Shikamaru, looking him up and down. "Is that really you, Shikamaru?"

He nodded his head.

"And you can't talk?"

He shook his head.

Ino sighed heavily. "Why couldn't it be the other way around and Naruto couldn't speak?"

"Agreed."

"Totally."

"I'm right here!"

Ino touched Shikamaru's back. "Oh, wow!" She hugged his neck, rubbing her face on his hair. "I've never been this close to a living deer before and I've never touched one that wasn't mounted on a wall. Your fur is so cool. This is fur, right? Or hair? Whatever it is, it's awesome. Sakura, come here and touch him."

Shikamaru moaned. "Don't..." Still, he didn't move away and let them touch his body and his antlers.

"You should move out at once," said Tsunade.

"Yes, milady."

"Whoa, whoa! Wait a minute! Right now?" Naruto protested. "It'll be sunset soon and we just came back from a mission this afternoon! Now we have to turn around and go back? Give us time to breathe, would you? And leaving now of all times? It'll be dark before we make it halfway!"

"Afraid of the dark, Naruto?"

"No! It's just harder to find things in the dark, that's all."

"I agree," said Shikamaru. "It's troublesome and sounds exhausting, but we have to. The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be cured."

"But now? Can't it wait until morning?"

"It's best if we leave now and shave some time off estimated arrival," said Shino. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we get there. If it's too much, we'll set up camp and we'll still arrive around the same time we would if we had waited and not rested."

There was no point in arguing. The decision was already made.

Everyone packed up their things and prepared to leave. Naruto packed up some supplies in his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. Shikamaru packed nothing. Not that he could in his current form. So Naruto packed a few extra things for him. Everyone met at the entrance of the village and left.

"I hope this isn't going to be a waste of time," Naruto complained. "I still think it can wait until morning. Look, the sun's going down now!"

"We still have a couple hours of good light. Let's get a move on."

Naruto looked back at the gates of the Hidden Leaf and sighed. It felt good to be home so he could rest after a difficult day and even worse mission. It was all too soon he had to leave. For once, this restless ninja wasn't ready to leave his home.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	4. In The Woods

**Chapter 4: In the Woods**

They were making good time and they had a few hours of light, despite it being so late in the day. Shikamaru didn't speak, not that anyone but Naruto could understand him. However, Ino did ask to ride him a few times on their journey. Naruto played with his tail for a while, thinking about how much he would miss having it once they were cured. After that he found a rock and juggled it for a bit to pass the time.

"It took a full day to reach the village, right, Shikamaru?" asked Ino.

He nodded his head.

"You left at dawn and arrived in the evening?"

He nodded again.

"Then we'll make it by dawn, right? If we keep going. If we stop to rest, we'll still get there tomorrow. Just in the afternoon. Sounds good to me."

Naruto looked back at the sky. The clouds were orange and purple. Sunset was reaching its end. Twilight was setting in. The time of day didn't bother him. He kind of enjoyed it. Actually, it wasn't difficult to see at all. Naruto reached into his pockets and started eating a bag of candy he had brought with him.

"You should ration your food, Naruto," said Sakura.

"Hey, I skipped dinner because of this and I didn't finish my lunch. I was in too bad a mood."

Shikamaru was the one who should feel hungry but he was too upset to eat. Being turned into a deer had him trying to short out his feelings. He was nervous and scared. He was worried, too. At the same time, a small part of him actually thought this wasn't such a bad change. He was a deer. There were downsides, sure, but there were upsides, too. Now he would know what it was like to be the animal his family was famous for. Now he knew what it was like to have hooves and antlers. This was pretty interesting. If he was feeling a little more carefree like Naruto, he would try playing around with this new form of his and see what he could do.

But he was still too upset to try. Deer were hunted animals. If some hunter spotted him in the woods, they may try to kill him for food. It was a good thing he had his team with him, but that may not stop some hunters. And what if he strayed too far from the group? He had to be sure he stayed as close as he could to the rest of them just in case. Someone might try to mount his head on their wall. There was no way he could tell them otherwise since no one other than Naruto could understand him. He wouldn't be able to plead his case and beg for his life if something were to happen. He didn't know how to be a deer either. He knew about them, but it was different actually living as one.

The sun had now set and the moon took its place. It was getting later by the minute. The candy gave Naruto a little energy but after burning most of that off climbing trees and playing made-up games, he was starting to get tired. He didn't want to walk anymore. His knees and ankles were starting to bother him.

"Can we stop?" he asked.

"Why? We're making good time," said Sakura. "Ride on Shikamaru if your legs are bothering you."

He didn't want to and neither did Shikamaru. Naruto kept walking. At least until he stumbled on a tree root and bumped into a tree. Then a bush. His body wanted rest. "Please?" he whined. They had been walking non-stop and his body was feeling it.

Shino looked back at him. Naruto did look pretty tired. He looked at Shikamaru. The deer had his head down low and was taking slow steps, lagging behind the others. He looked tired, too. It was impossible to know if Shikamaru was complaining too since his words couldn't be understood. Using his best judgment, he stopped the team. "We'll rest here for the night."

"Thank you!" Naruto sat down where he was and exhaled deeply.

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked. She was still ready to go and so was Ino.

"They just came back from a mission this afternoon. They must be tired from that. Plus, with the transformation and us making them walk all this way... It must be taking its toll on the two of them."

Sakura looked at them. "Yeah, you're right, Shino. I guess we should consider that and let them rest a bit. We don't really know what's going on with them."

They set up camp between the trees. Naruto rolled out his sleeping bag and slept under the stars. Shikamaru, without a sleeping bag, slept curled up in the grass under a tree. No one bothered with a tent. It would take more time they didn't have.

During the night, Ino turned over and noticed that Sakura was watching Naruto sleep. "Something wrong?" she whispered.

"No, not really," Sakura whispered back. "I was just thinking about something Tsunade said before we left."

"About what?"

"About Naruto turning into a fox. About how any number of things could happen. Like the seal breaking loose or... A bunch of stuff." She sighed. "Also, he isn't a full animal like Shikamaru is. I'm not sure why that is. What does it mean?"

"It's probably nothing to worry about. Don't sweat it."

"I guess..." Sakura still wasn't convinced. "But what if he wakes up a full fox tomorrow?"

"It'll be fine. Don't worry about it." Ino patted her hand, tying to comfort her gently. "Get some rest. We can't be slow tomorrow."

"You're right. Good night, Ino." Sakura still couldn't put it out of her mind, though. She was still worried about what would happen to Naruto. He may not have seen how bad this was, but she could. Things could get a lot worse.

* * *

As dawn broke, so did the silence as Shino roused the others. "Let's get going."

Ino and Sakura folded up their sleeping bags and tried to wake the other two. Sakura shook Naruto's shoulder. "Wake up. It's morning."

He curled into a tighter ball, moaning. "It's morning when I say it is."

"Naruto get up or I'll pound you."

He hid his face.

Ino came over with a smirk. "I'll get him up." She bent over and called to him gently. "Sakura said she'd give you a kiss if you get up, Naruto."

"I'm up! I'm up!" Naruto sat up straight, puckering his lips.

Sakura shoved Ino. "What did you do that for, Ino-pig?"

"Hey, it worked didn't... it?"

Naruto rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. When he lowered his arm, he noticed the two girls staring at him. "What?"

Sakura and Ino pointed. "Your... ears."

"My ears?" Naruto felt his ears. They were pointed and a little fuzzy. He felt a pinch and lowered his hands. "Ouch!" He looked down at his hands. His fingernails were sharp. He had grown claws during the night.

Shino saw Naruto's new claws and ears. "We have to get going." Shino's hidden face didn't say it, but his tone did. They had to hurry. Things were getting worse.

They took the path through the trees, hoping it would be faster than going around. Shikamaru kept catching low branches on his antlers. He was a lot taller than he was as a human. He had to adapt quickly. He also had to remember that he had antlers growing out of his head. Oddly enough, his head didn't feel very heavy. He had a strong neck as a deer, maybe that had something to do with it.

"Can we eat?" Naruto asked suddenly.

Now that he mentioned it, Shikamaru was starting to feel a little hungry himself. He hadn't eaten much of anything the day before. He had to keep up his strength.

Naruto asked again. "Can we stop and eat something? I'm starving."

"Can't you wait?" Shino asked. "We're almost there."

"You can either let me eat now and wait a few minutes, or you can carry me there after I pass out from hunger. You pick."

Sighing, Shino caved. "Fine. Eat something. But let's not lose time. Eat as you go."

"How do I do that?"

"Didn't you bring food with you?"

"Yeah, of course I did."

"Besides ramen?"

Naruto hesitated. "Uh... yeah?"

"You didn't, did you?"

"Let me check." Naruto looked inside his backpack. "Ah-ha! I have a bag of chips! Oh, and a banana... well, a mushed banana."

Shino sighed again. "Did you leave it in the bottom of your bag and let it get crushed by the heavy stuff you put on top?"

"... And I sort of banged my bag against some stuff along the way. And I might have thrown it on the ground when we stopped to rest last night."

The girls shook their heads.

Naruto tried offering the crushed banana to Shikamaru but he refused, so he tossed it on the ground. He opened the bag of chips and ate those instead. Shikamaru was still hungry. Wasn't Naruto going to offer him any of those chips? He gave Naruto a nudge and asked if he could have some. Naruto shared the bag with him. It was hard to eat without hands. He had to stick his head in the bag in order to eat anything. Naruto wasn't going to hand-feed him, that was for sure.

By afternoon, they finally reached the outskirts of the village. Naruto had no feelings one way or the other about arriving. The others were relieved, however. Especially Shikamaru.

Then, as a thought popped into his head, he gave Naruto a nudge. "I have to talk to Shino. I need you to translate for me."

Naruto sighed. "Fine."

"Shino." Shikamaru nudged him. "I need to talk to you."

Naruto translated. "Shikamaru says he has to talk to you."

"Alright. What is it?"

Naruto translated everything Shikamaru said. "He says, 'we didn't leave this village on good terms the other day. We were banned from returning. I'm not sure how they're going to react when they see us. They may not recognize me but they might recognize Naruto since he hasn't changed much. I'm not sure if they will be willing to help us out. I'm worried we're going to run into problems if we enter the village.' That's all he said."

Shino nodded. "Don't worry about it. I'm aware you didn't leave on the best of terms. But we're different ninja. They may not have a problem with us. I think they're sour towards you and not anyone from the Leaf Village. Besides, this is our only chance of getting you help. They may know something. We have to take a risk and enter the village."

Naruto turned to Shikamaru. "He says-"

"I know what he said!" Shikamaru barked. "They can't understand me, but I can understand them."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. This is a little confusing since I can understand you and everybody. I can't tell."

"If it bothers you that much, you can wait out here for us to come back," said Shino. "But it may cause problems if they need to examine you in order to cure you. But this way we can always come fetch you if that be the case. It's up to you."

Shikamaru knew what had to be done. "I'll go, too. No sense staying out here waiting."

"He says he'll come in with everyone," translated Naruto.

Shino nodded. "Alright. Let's get this over with."

Shikamaru lagged behind the others along with Naruto. It was probably for the best if the others were seen before them, just in case they were chased away because they were banned from the village. Shino led the team into the small village. So far no one noticed them. Shikamaru glanced around. Still no women. Not a one to be found. It made his chest hurt. If only they hadn't failed the mission.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" asked a man.

Naruto pushed his way to the front. "We're looking for the scarred guy. You seen him anywhere? It's important."

The man looked Naruto up and down. "What the hell happened to you?"

Naruto didn't answer his question. Instead he looked at Shino. "I don't see the scarred guy anywhere. I'm gonna go find him."

Shino grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him back. "No, you stay with the group. Don't go running off." Then he turned to the man who addressed them. "You don't seem too surprised to see our friend like this. Is there a reason for that?"

The man shrugged. "The world is vast, you know. I assume some things are normal. You don't seem too bothered by his appearance."

"Still," said Sakura, "You don't seem bothered at all. You didn't even flinch."

"Should I? I had a grandfather with only four fingers. You think I'll be bothered by a boy with pointy ears?"

Sakura was surprised that was all the man took notice of. "What about his tail? You're fine with that?"

"So what?" said the man. "So he has a pelt sewed onto the back of his pants. Big deal. To each his own, right?"

"It's not a pelt. It's my tail. See?" Naruto gave it a wag. "It's the real deal."

The man didn't buy it. "You're moving that with your hand."

"Am not!" Naruto held his hands in the air and wagged his tail back and forth. "See? It's a real tail."

The man scoffed. "You're a ninja. I'm sure you're using some kind of ninja trick to make it move."

Naruto pinned his ears back, his upper lip curling. "Listen you skeptic! I-"

Shino grabbed him and pushed him behind his back. "Calm down, Naruto. Don't go starting a fight or they may not help us."

"But he-"

"I don't care. Stop acting like a child and brush it off."

Naruto turned away. It was annoying how this man seemed to have an answer for everything. He didn't believe Naruto really had a tail growing out of him. He thought he was just deformed or playing a trick for attention. He was expecting a little more of a reaction than what he was getting.

"Naruto, look." Shikamaru gestured with his head over to one of the buildings. A man was just coming out of his house carrying boards of wood under his arm. He had scars on his body. The same scars as the man they were looking for.

"That's him!" Naruto ran off without thinking. He had to get a hold of that man one way or another. "Hey, scarred guy! Over here!"

"Naruto, you'll scare him away running at him looking like that! Stop shouting."

He wasn't listening. Naruto jumped in front of the man, startling him into dropping the boards of wood. "Scarred guy, do you have a minute? We need your help."

As soon as the man saw the boy's face and clothes, he scowled. "I thought I told you that you were banned from ever setting foot in this village again."

"Just listen for a second. We have to ask you something."

"Why should I listen to anything you have to say?" The man bent down and started picking up the fallen boards. "Get out of here and leave me alone."

"Not until you answer some questions we have."

The man took a swing at him with one of the boards. "I'm not answering anything. You didn't listen to me so I'm not listening to you. Now get out of here!"

"Hey! Are you trying to hit me with that?"

"Nothing gets by you, kid. Now see if you can get this... Get out of our village and don't come back! Get lost!"

"Not until we get answers!"

"I'm not giving you any!"

"Alright, alright, that's enough." Shino stood in to break up the fight. "Naruto, let me handle this, ok? Just be quiet and stand over there."

"But he-"

"You're only making it worse by yelling at him. Just do as I say."

Naruto pinned his ears back again, but did as he was told and walked away, arms folded and muttering under his breath.

Shino turned to the man. "Sorry about that. We really do need your help, though. If we could just have a few minutes of your time, we would really be grateful."

The scarred man didn't look willing, but Shino's politeness won him over. "Fine. What did you want?"

"As you can see, our friends have started to turn into animals. They were both at this village the other day and we think there's a connection. Could you please help us out? Do you know anything about what might be happening?"

The scarred man rubbed his neck, sighing. "I'm not sure. I honestly have no idea. You may have wasted your time in coming here."

"Do you have any idea why they're in this state? Any clues?"

"We didn't do it, if that's what you're thinking."

"I never accused you. I'm only asking if you have any information on how we can fix this."

The scarred man shook his head. "I don't know why they changed. I'm sorry, but I can't help you." He picked up his wood and turned away. "Now if you'll excuse me."

Naruto gave Shino a push. "Are you going to just let him walk away like that?"

"He says he doesn't know."

"And you believe that?"

"We can't force him, Naruto."

"Sure we can. We have Ino here. Can't she do something about it?"

Another villager came over to them. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear. Are you saying that a couple people from your group are turning into animals?"

They turned. "Yes? Yes?"

The man talking to them was much older than the scarred man and walked with a cane. He beckoned them closer. When everyone leaned closer, he spoke to them in a hushed tone. "I think I may know what happened to your friends. However, we're not the ones who did it."

"Then who did?" asked Naruto.

"When you came here the other day, those men from the competition were here. They're the ones who did it."

"Why them? And how do you know?" asked Sakura.

"There were rules against ninja performing and your friend there violated the rules when he showed off his ninja skills. Since ninja weren't allowed to compete, they broke the rules. Right after that, the men took the women and left, saying we couldn't try again after that. There must be a reason why ninja weren't allowed to enter and compete. They never said why. But because they saw you break the rules and because you are ninja..."

"So there's a connection," said Sakura. "So they might have punished Naruto and Shikamaru by turning them into animals."

"What's that?" Naruto turned to Shikamaru who appeared to be speaking.

"What's he saying?" asked Sakura.

"Without rules, we're beasts. That's what he said the man told him the other day before we left. The scarred guy told him that that's what the guy in the tower told him when they started. He was their leader. He must be the one who put this spell on us."

The old man nodded. "That's your best bet."

"So it's the men who organized the competition." Sakura turned to the old man. "Where are they? Where can we find them?"

"Their village is the next one over," he answered. "But it'll take you a couple days to reach it. Plus, it's hidden. If we knew exactly where it was, a few people would go there to try to take the women back themselves. Although, that's against the rules, too."

"Screw that!" barked Naruto. "Why do you care? Just go there and get them back."

"You don't know anything about this village, do you?" said the old man. "We agree to the competition every few years. It's tradition."

"You do?" Naruto couldn't understand. "But why? Why do you have this competition every few years? And why are those the terms? Why take all the women?"

"It's a tradition that's been going on since before I was born. Over the years, the reason has been lost to history. All we know is that it's something we do. We don't mind it much." The old man could tell that Naruto wasn't satisfied with that answer. "Hey, go ask the leader. He'd probably know the answer. Just head northwest from here and you'll reach their land. Good luck finding them though. It'll take a few days, I'll tell you that."

"Thanks for the help, but I have a question," said Ino. "This clan that makes this deal with you every few years... how do we know they'll be there? Maybe they took the women somewhere and they're not there or something."

"Not likely," said the man. "They come here once every few years for the competition. Otherwise, they stay at their village. They never leave except for the competition. They're not kidnappers, if that's what you're thinking. It's just a tradition. Nothing to worry about."

"Pretty weird competition if you ask me," muttered Naruto.

"What is the clan's name, if I may ask?" Sakura said before the man could turn away. "It's something we need to know."

"The Susumu clan. Commonly, it's a first name, but this is actually their clan's name. That should make things a little easier for you."

"Thanks so much."

The group left the village with Naruto complaining every step of the way. After a while, he tired himself out and stopped ranting about everything the villagers were doing wrong and how weird the situation was. He grabbed something from inside his bag and started eating as they walked northwest. The villagers had never left their village so they didn't know the name of the village where the Susumu clan resided. According to everyone, it was days away.

"This is going to take forever," Shikamaru muttered. "And are you going to share those?"

Naruto turned his head, mouth stuffed with salted chips. "Oh. Here. You can have the rest." Naruto gave Shikamaru what was leftover in the bag. It wasn't much.

The sky was beginning to darken. The sun was setting. They must have been walking longer than Naruto thought. The forest was quiet except for the insects buzzing around. Along the way, Shino spotted something through the trees and wandered off the path. The others followed him.

At first glance, it looked like a shrine. It was actually a small hunt with only two rooms and no plumbing. The roof was covered with moss and there were budding plants growing out of the gutters and up the side of the structure and into windows. There were crooked wooden steps leading up to the only door which were mossy around the edges. One step was missing, but it didn't seem to matter. It looked like a traditional Japanese building, though very small. It was missing one of its sliding doors, leaving the inside exposed. The inside had a few leaves and webs in the corners, but it was surprisingly in good shape. This was livable.

"We'll stay here tonight," Shino announced.

Naruto shrugged. "Beats setting up a tent." As long as he had a roof over his head, he didn't care very much where they would be spending the night. Besides, he didn't pack a tent, and from the looks of it, neither did the others. Everyone wanted to travel light.

Everyone piled into the building. It was big enough for everyone. Then there was Shikamaru. He was still trying to figure out how to get inside. So far, he managed to control all four of his limbs, but he hadn't done stairs before in this form. He lifted his front leg and placed it on the step and lifted himself up. He moved slowly up the stairs and into the building. It was a success. He walked to the back of the first room and lowered himself onto the ground. This was where he would sleep.

The others unrolled their sleeping bags and started to get ready for the evening. Naruto stayed near the open door, not quite ready to go to sleep yet. Part of him wondered if he would have paws in the morning. Another part was wondering what they would do when they ran into the Susumu clan. This transformation didn't have him stressed out. He actually thought it was cool. However, there were downsides to it. He didn't want to have to translate for Shikamaru all the time. It was a real pain. Plus, the worries the others had were starting to enter his mind as well. What if the seal was broken because of this? Then what would they do? What would happen to him? It wasn't on his mind most of the time. He tried not to think about it. He would be back to a normal human teenager in a couple of days. So far, everything seemed to be going relatively well. He wasn't very worried at all.

He curled into a ball in his sleeping bag and stared at the trees blocking his view of the moon and stars. This was pretty peaceful. He liked sleeping under the stars. Still, nothing beat his soft warm bed back home. Although, this fluffy fox tail came pretty close.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	5. Hunting

**Chapter 5: Hunting**

Shikamaru was the first one awake the next morning. He didn't get much sleep last night. Being a deer was a major handicap for him. He felt so useless. As a deer, he couldn't perform hand-signs. Not with hooves. He couldn't talk either and had to rely on Naruto alone to translate everything he said. He was having problems eating as well. Unless someone put the food in front of him in bite-sized pieces, he couldn't eat. He couldn't cut up his food, he couldn't hold anything. This was a huge pain. Not only that, but he was worried that there was no way to reverse this. He didn't want to be a deer forever. He was also worried for Naruto's sake. So far, he didn't seem to be taking this seriously. He was the one who needed to worry the most because of the nine-tailed fox. In addition, what would happen if he lost his ability to speak, too? Then who would translate? They could probably figure something out, but this was turning into one problem after another.

Slowly, the others started to wake up and fix themselves something to eat. They had all brought food with them while they traveled. Shikamaru didn't have anything. He approached Ino and pointed to her bag with his nose. He couldn't tell what she was eating, but he didn't care. He was hungry.

"What? This?" She held up the bag. "You want some?"

He nodded.

"Fine. Help yourself."

He stomped his hooves on the wooden floor and snorted.

"Oh, yeah. No hands." She shrugged. "I guess you're on your own."

He stomped his hooves louder.

"Ino, give him something to eat," Sakura told her. "Don't be a little pig."

"What did you call me?"

Shikamaru backed away. Now that they were going at it, it looked like he was on his own. He looked around for Shino but he was nowhere to be found. Then he spotted Naruto still sleeping in his sleeping bag. His backpack was close by. Naruto had food in there. It was either that or starve.

Shikamaru grabbed the bag with his teeth and carefully pulled the zipper open and stuck his nose inside, sniffing around. It smelled like wet wool, dirt and salt. Then he found something good and pulled it out. It was a small box of snacks for the road. With no hands, Shikamaru had to smash it open with his hoof and pull it apart with his teeth. The contents spilled onto the floor, but he didn't care and started eating. When all of that was gone, he looked inside for something else. His appetite was back. The only thing left were cups of instant ramen. He couldn't eat that, could he? It needed to be heated up and cooked, right? Maybe he could try it.

Naruto rolled onto his back and stretched. "Morning..!" he yawned widely. His tail slapped against his legs and then hid behind him. He stroke his tail, feeling the softness. Then he turned. "Shikamaru!"

Hearing the sudden loud voice, Shikamaru backed up, startled. His hoof landed on one of the ramen cups, smashing it open. When he moved to the side to examine it, he stepped on the other one.

"Stop that! Hey!" Naruto rushed to the ramen cups but the damage was done. There was no way he could eat them now. There was no longer a container to hold any water, the hard noodles were crushed and all over the ground, and everything Shikamaru had picked up on his hooves was now mixed into the food. "Great! Now what am I supposed to eat?"

"You ate through a lot of food yesterday," said Ino. Their argument had stopped when they heard Naruto's yelling.

"I was hungry. And I'm hungry now!"

"Sorry..." Shikamaru hung his head.

"What did you do that for?"

"I didn't mean to. You startled me. And I said I was sorry."

Shino entered the room, walking right into a mess. "Can't I use the bathroom without a fight breaking out?"

"Shikamaru smashed all my ramen and ate the rest! Now what do I do?"

"You know how to find food on the move, don't you?"

"Yeah." Naruto nodded his head up and down matter-of-factly. "It's basic ninja survival. I've been doing it ever since I graduated from the academy."

"Then it shouldn't be a problem for you to go out and find your own food."

Naruto frowned. "Are you saying I have to go out in the woods and find my own food, Shino?"

"Why not? When we run out of food, we'll all have to do the same thing. It's not that hard. In fact, there are a lot of berries growing on bushes nearby. They're good to eat. There are a lot of things you can eat around here."

"Yeah, just not that." Naruto pointed to the useless ramen cups. He got to his feet. "Fine, I'll find my own breakfast."

"If you can, try to bring back some stuff for the rest of us," called Sakura. "We'll need to stock up on food if we want to keep going."

Naruto turned at the first step. "What?!"

"Might as well since you're going out there anyway."

If it was coming from anyone other than Sakura, he might have argued. Naruto agreed and left the hut. They watched his blond head bob between the bushes and tree trunks and disappear.

The forest was thick with trees and bushes, but there were natural paths where animals seemed to travel often. Their tracks were still trapped in the dirt. There were plenty of berries growing on the bushes he passed, but Naruto didn't pick any. He was too busy muttering to himself.

"Why do I have to be the errand boy? Can't they get their own food? No, they have to send me out."

He wasn't that put out by their request. It was just something to complain about. He was still upset that Shikamaru had ruined his ramen cups. He had kept the rare finds back at home, but still. There went his shrimp and miso ramen. The beef one, too. The one with the big thick mushrooms. He was looking forward to that. Of course Ichiraku made the best ramen there was. The instant ramen cups couldn't compare to the big beef bowls he made. That broth was amazing, and the soft yet firm noodles soaking up the flavor. Naruto's mouth watered just thinking about it.

"Oh, man. I could sure go for some ramen right now. He knows just how to make it. He knows what I like. And the boiled egg, yum!"

Naruto stopped, looking around. He had wandered a little further than he wanted. He knew how to get back, but now it would take him a little longer. The others might complain. His tail swished from side to side as he thought. At least he didn't grow any new appendages since last night.

Come to think of it, nothing seemed to have changed since getting the ears and claws yesterday morning. Was this as far as he was going to change? No, Shikamaru was a full deer which meant if they were under the same spell then he should become a full fox. Maybe the nine-tailed fox had something to do with it. Maybe it was slowing his transformation.

"Is the nine-tailed fox protecting me somehow? Maybe that's why Shikamaru is a deer already and I'm changing much slower. Maybe the chakra I have gives me some sort of immunity or something. No, not immunity. Just slowing things down. It might be days before I look like Shikamaru."

That was an interesting thought. Maybe the nine-tailed fox was protecting him from the spell without meaning to. Over time he may become a full fox, but for now he just had to go around with a tail, claws and pointed ears. He was perfectly fine with that. The tail kept him warm at night, his claws were sharp and his ears were very keen. So far, being a fox wasn't so bad. Aside from some minor changes, he didn't notice much of a difference. He was still human. But there were changes.

It was weird being a fox. Or at least part of one. His hearing had improved so much, he could hear the tiniest sound in the dense forest. The buzzing of insects, the flapping of wings, even the scurrying of the smallest mouse in the grass. Naruto's ears would twitch as they picked up each new sound and turn in different directions. He sat on the forest floor and listened to nature's symphony. He inhaled deeply, taking in the smells around him. The trees, the grass, the fallen leaves, damp wood, nuts and berries. Even smells he couldn't easily identify. It was so tranquil here. He sat perfectly still for what seemed like an hour. He didn't care. He enjoyed every second.

A new sound got his attention and he turned his head. He could still hear it. Curious, he got up and walked over to it. He crouched down on all fours and peered through the tree trunks. It was a mouse scavenging for berries. Naruto held his breath as he watched it. It was such a small little fur ball. So tiny and helpless. He watched it take a berry into both hands and nibble at it, slowly rotating it as it ate.

A new feeling came over Naruto in that moment. The longer he watched it, the more he wanted to act. His legs were slowly filing with restless energy. He wanted to spring. That little mouse looked so soft. He started to wonder what it would taste like.

The mouse paused, listening. Its ears moved back and forth and stopped. It was sensing something. Naruto had to act now.

Seeing his chance, Naruto pounced on the mouse, mouth agape. It started to flee, but he managed to catch it in his left hand. He held it in place by its tail then grabbed it with his teeth and bit down. He could feel it pop in his mouth and something wet touched his tongue. He did it. He caught the mouse.

He felt so proud of himself. He actually did it. He was so full of energy. What a rush that was. He wanted to do it again.

He listened for the sounds and reacted to them on instinct. He heard another in the bushes and pounced. They got away. He chased after them. One started to climb up the side of a tree. He followed and caught it in his mouth like he did the first. He climbed up the tree and snatched up a third on a branch with his hand. "Gotcha!" He climbed further up the tree, looking around at his new surroundings. What a nostalgic feeling. Sitting perched on this branch brought back memories and made him feel at home. So peaceful. He jumped to the next branch. It bent under his weight but did not break. He jumped to another and then onto the ground, spotting another mouse. This was fun! He wanted to catch more and more!

Back at the campsite, Sakura started to wonder where Naruto had gone. "He's been gone a while. I hope he's ok."

"Maybe he just had to use the bushes or something," said Ino.

"No, he would have been back by now. In his condition, something could have happened. That's why I'm worried." There were plenty of berries on the bushes near the wooden building. It would only take a few short minutes to gather some up for the road. There was no reason for him to go any further.

"Hey, guys! Guys!" Naruto came through the bushes carrying something in his hands. He looked thrilled.

"Where have you been?" Sakura asked. Naruto was covered in dirt and his hair was messy and had a leaf stuck between the blond locks. He didn't seem to care. He looked very excited, holding out his hands. "What do you have there?"

"Guys! Guys! Check out what I got in the forest! Look! Look!" Everyone gathered around and Naruto dumped the contents of his hands onto the floor. "Ta-da!"

Sakura and Ino shrieked and jumped back as seven mouse carcases were dumped in front of them. Some were still twitching.

Taking no notice of how disturbed the girls were, Naruto bounced in place, looking very proud of himself. "I got you guys a snack! What do you think? Pretty good, huh? Not bad for my first run, don't you think?"

"You disgusting idiot!" Ino screamed, backing away from the mice. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Naruto's ears lowered. "I thought you'd be hungry. So I brought you something to eat."

"This is what you come up with?!"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Duh! They're a pile of dead mice! Gross! I can't eat that! What's wrong with you?"

Naruto pouted. "Fine. More for me."

Ino continued to carry on.

"As long a you cook them, they're ok to eat," said Shino. "I don't think Naruto intended for you to eat them raw."

"Of course not!" said Naruto. "I just brought them back for you guys to cook."

"Ew!" Ino whimpered. "Dead mice! Ew!"

Naruto turned his back on her, folding his arms. "So this is the thanks I get for bringing you guys food. Hmph! Maybe I shouldn't have bothered."

"Wasn't there anything else?" Sakura asked. She had eaten mice before when there was nothing else available, but Ino was a very picky eater. That wasn't to say Sakura wasn't either. If she had no other choice, she would. It was just the shock of seeing dead mice being dropped at her feet with no warning. Anyone would be startled by that. She didn't want to come across as ungrateful, but Naruto's approach needed some work.

Naruto's ears twitched. "Well... there were some nuts and berries a little further away."

"Then bring us that!" Ino screamed. "Use your brain for once!"

Naruto's ears pinned back. "Hey, when I was with Pervy Sage, I was taught to not be too picky. We had money, but because I wasn't getting paid for any missions during that time, I had to be careful how much I spent. I'd run out in no time. We also had to pay for rides and rooms at inns and things like that. He showed me how to grill mice. It wasn't that bad."

"Gross!" Ino whined.

"Actually, the first time I ate them, I didn't know what they were. He put it in a strew and didn't tell me until after I ate it. It wasn't too bad. I didn't even notice."

"You know what they say," added Shikamaru from inside the building. "Everything tastes like chicken."

Naruto agreed. "Yeah. But they didn't really taste too much like chicken. There's not much meat on them in the first place."

While everyone else was talking, Shino was studying the mice on the floor. Some looked like they had teeth marks in them.

"Fine, if you want nuts, I'll get you nuts." Naruto started to go back into the woods.

"Wait." Shino stood up. "Maybe someone should go with you."

"No, I got this."

"You'll bring back more food with a second person."

Still Naruto declined. "Nah. I'll just grab some stuff off bushes and come back. But if you want, you can start cooking those mice so I can have something to eat." Naruto hopped down the mossy steps and started to head back into the woods.

Shino watched him with a frown. He didn't like this.

* * *

When Naruto returned later, he had stuffed his pockets and hands full of nuts and berries which he then dumped onto the floor. Sakura and Ino had started a fire and were cooking the mice Naruto brought back. Ino didn't touch them but at least she helped build the fire. Naruto bounced over to Sakura and watched the mice slowly roasting on the fire. He snacked on some of the nuts while he waited.

"Are they ready yet? How about now?"

"Just a minute, Naruto."

"What about now?"

"Shut up and wait a minute!"

Shino poked his head around the side of the building and watched them. Naruto was busy watching the roasting mice and eating nuts. He didn't seem to want to eat them until they were finished cooking. Shino then turning into the building to see what Naruto had brought back this time.

There was a small pile of berries and nuts on the floor... and Shikamaru was eating them.

"Shikamaru!" Ino had walked in and caught him in the act at the same time Shino had.

Taken by surprise, Shikamaru backed away from the pile and ran to the other side of the room, watching no with wide eyes.

Shino frowned again. Not at the fact that Shikamaru was eating their food, but by his reaction.

Naruto pried himself away from the fire to see what was going on inside. Ino was giving Shikamaru quite the lecture while he remained in the far corner. "He says he's sorry."

"You just gathered this stuff up. Now you have to go back into the forest."

"I don't mind. I'll bring back even more."

"But this is going to slow us down. We should be leaving soon and now we have to wait because he ate the food you brought back for the trip."

"He said he's sorry. And he also said that he was hungry and no one would feed him anything. He even asked you for some and you told him to get his own."

"Ino..." Shino started.

"Hey, it was my special diet food I packed before we left. I'm not sharing that with him."

Shikamaru sighed. "I said I was sorry. But I was hungry." He looked down at his body. "I am bigger now. Maybe I need to eat more and more often. Deer graze for a good part of the day."

"Then why don't you eat grass?" Naruto suggested.

"I'm not a real deer. I'm still human, so I'm going to eat like one." His hooves clomped on the wooden floor as he walked to the other side of the room. "It's just a lot harder to do without hands."

"No problem." Naruto grinned widely. "I'll go back into the forest and bring back a whole bunch of food. Then you don't have to worry."

Shino tried to prevent him from going back into the woods. "Maybe you should stay here and let one of us go."

"Why?" Naruto was puzzled. "I'm good at it and I'm pretty fast. I'll be back here in no time."

"I'm not concerned about..."

Sakura put out the fire. "There! It's ready."

Naruto scampered over and grabbed one of the mice and started to nibble at the hot flesh. "Not bad. Thanks, Sakura." He sat down and started eating.

Shino was very troubled but no one seemed to take notice. Apparently the girls weren't seeing what he was seeing.

* * *

What's going on?

Please review! ^-^


	6. Calling

**Chapter 6: Calling**

During the rest of the day, Naruto kept making frequent trips into the forest to bring back food. Shikamaru ate most of it, leaving Naruto to make more trips. Naruto didn't have to be told. He wanted to go into the forest to find food. He claimed it was fun. Sometimes he would be gone only a few minutes. Sometimes, he was gone for an hour. This trip he was taking at the moment had been lasting two hours.

With the day just about gone, they knew they would have to spend another night at this site and travel in the morning.

"We're losing time," Ino complained. "Where the hell is he?"

Sakura stood facing the forest and called in a loud voice, "Naruto! Get your butt back here now! I mean it!" There was no answer. She couldn't find head nor tail of him and hadn't been able to for the past two hours. He couldn't be lost, could he? Any real ninja wouldn't make such a mistake, but Naruto? He wasn't like most ninja. Sometimes, she had doubts he was even a ninja. Maybe in name only. If there was something a ninja wouldn't fail at, it was almost certain that he would.

"Any sign of him?" asked Ino.

She shook her head. "No. Maybe one of us should go out there and look for him."

Ino put her hands on her hips. "I can't believe we lost a whole day because of your idiot teammate. We should have left hours ago and now it's going to be dark soon. A whole day, wasted."

"At least he brought back food for your teammate who you didn't feed."

"Why is he my responsibility?"

"Lady Tsunade assigned us to be on this mission because these are our teammates."

"Well, look who went and lost hers in the woods. At least I know where mine is." She pointed into the building where Shikamaru slept curled in a ball on the floor. "See? Lazy-ass, sleeping the day away."

"Hey, guys!" Naruto had returned with even more food. His clothes were soaking wet and he was covered in dirt and mud. His sleeve was torn slightly and he had a small cut on his cheek. On his back was a net which he got out of his bag before he left on his last trip, and in that net were fish. At least a dozen. His pockets were also stuffed with more nuts and berries and in his right hand was a single apple. "Check it out. Neat, huh? What do you think? This enough food?"

The girls didn't respond. They were too stunned by his latest catch.

He took it as a complement. He carried his catch over to the hut and threw it all onto the floor beside Shikamaru who woke with a start. He looked down at the fish and sniffed them. Most of them were small but Naruto had managed to catch two big ones. Shikamaru was looking forward to eating those.

"Shino! Where are you? I brought you guys back dinner!" He emptied his pockets onto the floor, adding to the pile of nuts and berries he brought back earlier. "Hey, you guys want to start frying these fish up? I'm starving."

The fish were fried and everyone had a nice dinner. Shikamaru had his fish cut up for him to make it easier to eat. Naruto ate through half of the fish he brought back before he was satisfied. The nuts and berries were set aside for the next day. They had to get moving.

It was too late to travel now. Once the fire was put out, the team was plunged into darkness. Shikamaru went back inside to sleep and the others unrolled their sleeping bags. Naruto pulled his close to the door so he could see the sky. He was tired from running around all day but didn't want to sleep. He wanted to go back into the forest. He had made a kind of game out of foraging. He was eager to go back and collect more food.

It wasn't just about the food. It was everything. He wanted to explore the forest and everything in it. On his last journey, he found several holes which left him wondering what was inside or where they led. There were tall trees with thick trunks he wanted to climb. There was an embankment he wanted to explore too. He wanted to find out where it led. He was also curious about what lay beyond the thickly packed trees on the far end of the hill. They were growing so closely together that he couldn't see around them. That was as far as he had gone today. He wanted to go back there and see what was on the other side.

Tonight he would be dreaming about it.

* * *

Plagued by dreams for what lay beyond the trees, Naruto woke before anyone else. Even before the sun had risen. The horizon was a pale blue color while the rest of the sly remained dark. Dawn would break in the next half hour or so. He couldn't wait for that. Naruto was too restless. He didn't want to sleep anymore. He couldn't. He was so full of energy. He wanted to go back into the forest. He couldn't wait. He had to know what was beyond those trees.

He slipped out from his sleeping bag and crawled to the door and watched the sky. It was quiet. Not a bird was singing. The forest was still and calm. He longed to enter the forest. It was silently calling him.

Unable to stay put for another minute, Naruto jumped over the steps and landed in the dirt on all fours. He straightened up and went into the forest.

The grass was still damp with dew. Not a creature was stirring. Naruto never felt lonely. Not even for a minute. He hurried down the path he had found yesterday and followed it to the end. Another path and a second. He took the one on the left. This one was more narrow but it didn't bother him. It widened in the middle and he could see every tree gathered around the forest, stretching their limbs to the sky. This was taking too long and he had so much energy. He started to run. His footsteps quickened and pounded as fast as his beating heart. Faster and faster. He never realized he was this fast before. He was running faster than he ever could. It was so easy to maneuver around trees and over bushes. His jumping skills had improved. He made a game out of it, trying to see how far and how high he could jump, trying not to touch a single leaf on any of the bushes he passed. A simple but fun game.

At last he came to the thick trees at the end of the path. He stood in front of them, staring. There was no way around them as far as he could see. So he had to go over. He climbed up the side of the trunk from the one in the middle and onto one of its branches. He climbed up the branches like a ladder. Through the leaves, he could see the other side. He crawled to the end of the branch and jumped down, landing on the roots.

What a wondrous sight. He was on top of a hill looking over miles of treetops and valleys. Between the trees, he could see the river he had found snaking its way deeper into the woods. More hills, stretching for miles on the other side of the scene before him. It was like something out of a painting. He looked down. It was a sheer drop from where he stood into the forest below. If he jumped, it would be difficult to find his way back.

But that just meant more exploring. The thought of which made him smile from ear to ear. He jumped.

* * *

Sakura checked his sleeping bag. "He's gone."

"Damn it." Ino looked outside to see if he was behind the building. "Nothing here either. He is gone."

Shino sat on the steps, shaking his head. He was afraid something like this would happen. Shikamaru stood beside him outside. There was no point in offering any words of comfort. No one could understand him anyway.

"That's it." Sakura threw up her hands in defeat. "We have to go looking for him."

"I can send my bugs out to find him. No sense searching blindly." Shino knew if they all went looking for Naruto, either they would split up, thus taking more time, or Naruto would return while everyone else was gone. He might then go out to look for them and they might return and they would keep missing each other. Besides, they didn't know where to start looking. The forest stretched on for miles in all directions. Plus, they didn't know how long he had been gone. If he left a few minutes ago, it shouldn't take very long to locate him, but if he had been gone for hours he could be anywhere by now.

Just as they were getting ready to start searching, they heard a voice coming from the forest.

"Hey! Hey, guys! Hey!"

"Naruto!" Sakura was getting ready to pound him. "Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how worried-"

Naruto came out of the forest with a big smile on his face. "Hey, guy! Guys! Guess what? You'll never believe what I found."

Sakura stopped yelling, thinking he had discovered the Susumu clan. "What is it?"

"I brought you guys something. Look what I brought back." Naruto pulled a chicken out from behind his back and held it up by its legs, showing it off. "You like it? Great, huh?"

Ino and Shino gathered around with Sakura, staring at the chicken. "Is that... a chicken?"

"Uh-huh!" Naruto never looked more proud. "How long do you think it will take to cook up? It's a good one. I bet it's juicy."

"Where the hell did you get that?" Ino asked. "How do you find that in the forest?"

Naruto happily explained. It was a few miles away, I think. Hard to judge. Anyway, I found it behind this fence and just grabbed it."

"Behind a fence?" Shino. Eyed the chicken up and down. It was still twitching. It was missing some feathers and couldn't make a sound. Even if they released it, it was as good as dead.

"Yeah!" Naruto nodded. "I saw it from between some trees, just walking around in there, so I snatched it up." He turned to Sakura, holding it up with pride. "You like it?"

"Naruto, you stole it. This chicken isn't yours."

"It is now. I caught it. See?" He waved it back and forth in the air.

"Naruto, that chicken belongs to somebody. You took it from their property."

"Then they shouldn't have left it out."

"It was behind a fence, you nimrod!"

Naruto frowned. "I thought you'd like it."

"We can't eat that, Naruto."

He rolled his eyes with a groan. "First it's mice, now it's chicken. I thought you liked chicken. That's why I brought it back."

Shino didn't say a word, listening to Naruto carefully. He saw nothing wrong with taking this chicken from a fenced in area. This was getting worse by the day.

"We can't take it back now," said Ino. "It's practically dead. We might as well keep it."

Sakura turned around to speak with her. Naruto didn't stick around to listen. He carried the chicken over to the hut and tossed it at Shikamaru's feet. "Hey, check out what I caught. How do you want it cooked?"

As soon as the chicken hit the ground, its wings flapped and fluttered, sending more feathers into the air as it flopped like a fish out of water. This made Shikamaru rear up on his hind legs and backed into the hut, bellowing. The girls saw this and came rushing over.

"What's wrong, Shikamaru?"

He kicked the air, bellowing loudly. "Get it away! Get it away! Help!"

"Calm down, you idiot!" Naruto picked up the chicken and tossed it into the building, out of sight. "There, it's gone. See?"

Shikamaru lowered himself, panting.

"Look who's the real chicken," Naruto teased.

"That thing freaking startled me!" Shikamaru yelled. "I didn't know what it was or what it was doing. I got spooked, that's all."

"Is he ok, Naruto?" Ino asked.

"Yeah. He just... got a little chicken!" He started laughing.

Shikamaru bucked his head, trying to jab Naruto with his antlers.

"Hey, watch it! I'm just teasing. How was I supposed to know you'd get scared by a chicken?"

Shino stood nearby, watching the whole thing. "This is worse than I thought."

* * *

While the chicken was busy cooking, Shino held an emergency meeting with the girls in the building. They had to discuss Naruto and Shikamaru's worsening condition.

"Have you two noticed a change in Naruto and Shikamaru's behavior recently?" Shino asked them.

"You mean aside from Naruto being dumber than usual?" Ino muttered. She glanced at the boy eagerly watching the chicken roast over the orange and yellow flames.

"This has nothing to do with his intellect. I'm talking about how he's acting. Haven't you noticed it?"

The girls' body language told him that he was the only one who took notice.

"I've been observing them over the past couple of days and I've noticed some subtle changes in their behavior."

"You mean like how Naruto keeps bringing back dead things or close to dead?" said Sakura.

"Exactly. It's been getting worse. It all started with the mice. We asked Naruto to go find his own food and gather up what he could. He brought back mice."

"I know. How weird and gross is that?" asked Ino.

"Not for a fox." Shino lowered his voice. "Foxes eat mice. They hunt for them in the woods."

Now they were beginning to see why Shino was so worried.

He went on. "At first, we thought Naruto's transformation had plateaued because physically he hasn't changed since that morning and those were small changes. I think the change is happening inside of him. I think he's starting to act more like a fox because his animal instincts are taking over. He's doing the things foxes normally do."

"You're sure about this?"

"Positive."

"How bad is it? Do you think he's going to become a fox on the inside?" Sakura asked.

"He might. I noticed some human parts of him are starting to get weaker."

"How can you tell?"

"When you two complained about the chicken he brought back... Do you remember how he reacted?" Shino didn't wait for them to answer. "Normally, Naruto would have never taken something from behind a fence. He would know that was someone's property. But to a fox, it's free grabs. His response was no different from how a fox would think. Naruto failed to see what he had done wrong. He saw a chicken out in the open and grabbed it. Even with the mice. That was the start of it I think. At least, he's asking us to cook it. Soon that might change."

"How do you mean?"

"I saw those mice he brought back. They had teethmarks in them. Naruto caught some of them in his mouth. I'm sure these are warning signs. Soon, he may start to eat things raw. On the plus side, foxes eat both meat and plant life. We might be able to curb his eating habits and stall his desire for meat for a little while."

"Wait a second." Ino suddenly looked worried. "You don't think... Do foxes eat deer?"

That was a good question.

"Not usually," said Shino. "I came across it in a book I read years ago. Foxes are generally too small to hunt down and kill deer so they usually aren't known for eating them. However, they have been seen eating carrion. Sometimes, those are deer. But they're already dead so it doesn't count."

Ino breathed a sigh of relief.

"However..." Shino leaned closer. "I'm concerned about the seal, just like Tsunade. I'm starting to think things a fox normally wouldn't do, Naruto might."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you know how the nine-tailed fox is. What if Naruto is influenced by it? What if Naruto becomes more aggressive because of the fox inside of him? If that's the case, he might try to go after animals a fox normally wouldn't hunt. Including deer."

Sakura and Ino looked at the deer snoozing in the next room, oblivious to their conversation.

"He might try to eat Shikamaru? But... but they're friends."

"If Naruto's instincts kick in and take over, he might not feel that way anymore. With this transformation and the seal... Naruto might lose control of himself." Shino sighed. "Shikamaru might be in a similar way."

"How do you mean?"

"He's getting spooked very easily. I've been noticing that, too. Yelling his name, tossing something at him. You've seen how he jumps. Deer are known to be skittish animals. A ninja wouldn't be startled that easily. Have you seen Shikamaru get spooked like that?"

Ino shook her head. Shikamaru always kept his cool, even in the middle of a huge battle. He always prided himself on being the number one at running away, but that was only because he wanted to avoid fights out of laziness. Not because he was afraid.

Things were changing in the two of them and only Shino had taken notice of it. No doubt things were only going to get worse.

"What should we do?" asked Sakura. "It's not like we can stop it, since it's the spell that's causing it. But is there any way for us to slow it down?"

"First off..." Shino gestured outside at the boy by the fire. "Keep him away from the forest. We should make sure he doesn't go in there again. Avoiding a fox's natural habitat might be the best way he can slow his instincts. At least for a little while. Plus, he's going in there alone. As long as he's around humans, the human part of him should remain dominate."

"Got it."

"Right now, that's the best we can do for them. Keep them surrounded by humans so they remain as human as possible on the inside. Do not let them go off alone. And do not let Naruto back into the forest. Certainly not by himself."

"Guys!" Naruto waved a drumstick in the air, already digging into the chicken. "It's done cooking! I was right, it is juicy. Want some?"

* * *

After everyone finished the chicken, they got ready to head out. Everything was packed up and accounted for. They went through one final check to make sure they had everything they needed. By the time they finished and turned around, they all noticed Naruto heading back into the forest by himself.

"Naruto, wait!" Ino ran ahead to stop him. She blocked his path with her body. "Where are you going?"

"Into the woods."

"Why?"

"I figured we might as well get some more food while we're here. You know how much Shikamaru has to eat now."

Ino had to stop him. "No, don't go in there."

"Why not?" Naruto looked confused.

"Because... Uh..." Ino had to think of a good reason without telling him the truth. "Because... Because we already have so much food. You gathered up a lot already. We don't need anymore. Besides, we don't have the time. We should really get going."

"Don't worry. I'm fast. I can be back in no time." Naruto tried to walk around her but Ino stepped in front of him again.

"No, no. It's ok. We have plenty. And we've already lost a day. We're behind schedule. We need to leave now."

That seemed to be enough to convince him. "Alright." He shrugged and went to walk beside Sakura. Ino breathed a sigh of relief.

Once on the road, their pace started to pick up little by little. For most of the journey, few spoke. They never quickened their pace more than a brisk walk for fear that Shikamaru would fall behind. They also wanted to make sure Naruto didn't get out of sight. He was walking ahead of everyone else while Shikamaru walked at the rear.

"I still say we'll get there faster if we run," Naruto called back.

"We can't risk the group splitting up."

"We're not gonna split up," Naruto sighed.

"Some may get too far ahead and then we'll be spread out. Let's remember that Shikamaru is a deer. What if there are hunters nearby? We can't risk him getting caught in a trap or end up on someone's dinner table."

Shikamaru's ears perked up at Shino's comment. He was already worried about something like that happening to him. Now that Shino was thinking it, he found himself just as worried with no reassurance.

For the next several miles, they walked saying very little. Naruto changed positions every few minutes, wandering behind the group with Shikamaru, walking between the other members of the group, along side the group and then back to the front. He was very restless.

Then something caught his attention. He stood perfectly still in the middle of the road. The others saw this and stopped. Thinking it may have been a threat he was sensing, Shino stayed alert and reached for a weapon. Naruto's ears shifted back and forth, following a sound so tiny no one could hear it. His pointed ears tracked the sound to the location directly in front of them and remained still.

Something moved from a bush to the road. A squirrel. It stopped in their path and stayed still. Naruto watched it with his eyes. It was like a staring contest. Suddenly, Naruto bent his legs and pounced. The squirrel bolted, heading for the tree. Naruto's hand came down just beside it, not quick enough. He chased it up the tree and started to follow.

"Naruto!"

Sakura's sharp cry stopped him halfway up the tree and he slowly slid back down. "What?"

"Leave it alone! It's cute."

"Yeah," agreed Ino. "Don't kill it."

Naruto stepped onto the path and cocked his head. "I wasn't going to kill it. I was just playing around. It's fun to chase things."

The girls exchanged looks.

"What?"

"It's nothing. Let's keep going." Sakura walked beside Naruto, hoping he wouldn't chase after something else as long as she was so close to him.

A few minutes later, there was more excitement when Shikamaru suddenly reared up and ran in a full circle to the front of the group, huffing loudly. Only Naruto could understand what he was saying.

"He says something touched his leg." Naruto looked back and saw a snake slithering across the road into the grass. "Aw, you big baby. I didn't know you were afraid of snakes."

"I'm not!" Shikamaru barked. "It startled me, that's all."

"You get startled easily." Naruto turned around and started making hissing sounds and ran his finger up Shikamaru's spine.

"Stop that!"

"Why? Are you scared, big baby deer?"

"Stop making fun of me. Like you've never been taken by surprised before."

Naruto kept hissing.

"I said, knock it off!" Shikamaru kicked out at him with his hoof.

"Watch it, deer-boy. You almost hit my tail."

"Fine by me. I'll step on it next if you keep tormenting me."

"I'm not tormenting you. Sheesh! Lighten up, you big baby."

This was exactly what Shino was talking about. Now Sakura and Ino were noticing it, too. Shikamaru normally wasn't that easily frightened. Naruto was normally playful and loved pulling pranks when he was younger, but he never chased a squirrel up a tree before. Even when he did stupid things, it wasn't the same as what they were seeing now.

"Why are you guys looking at us like that?" Naruto had noticed the stares the girls were giving them.

Though they never agreed to keep this from them, the rest of the group was reluctant to tell them what was going on. How would they react? Was it the right thing to do?

Sakura decided to be the one to let them in on the truth. "Uh, Naruto, Shikamaru... have you guys noticed how you've been acting lately?"

"Acting?" Naruto titled his head. "What do you mean?"

"You bringing back dead animals and things like that?"

He shrugged. "So? I did that when we first started to go on missions. You built the fire and we ate the fish I caught with my Shadow Clones."

Shikamaru grumbled at the mention of his clones.

"Oh, are you going to be like that forever? I said I was sorry!"

"Naruto, focus." Sakura got his attention back. "Shino has a theory that this spell you're under... that it may effect more than just your bodies."

"Such as?"

"Your minds, dumbass," said Ino.

Naruto's ears twitched. "Our minds? What is that supposed to mean?"

"He's worried that you might start acting like the animal you're turning into. You know, turn into animals on the inside."

Naruto shook his head. "No, I know what I'm doing. It's not like I'm spacing out or anything. I know what I'm doing. And I know I'm a human. I don't think I'm a fox at all. I'm a human."

"We never said that you're going to think you're a fox, Naruto. Just that you'll get the instincts of one."

"Animal instincts?"

Shikamaru lowered his head and started saying something for Naruto to translate. They waited until he was finished, wondering if he had come up with an idea.

Naruto faced the group. "Shikamaru says that must be why he's acting so skittish because he normally isn't. Even in the middle of a huge battle. And he also says that must be why I like chasing things. Then he asked if there's anything we can do to slow it down since he thinks it's an effect of the spell so we probably can't stop it from happening."

"The best solution," said Shino, "is to get you two fixed up as soon as possible. Once you're cured, everything should be back to the way it was before."

Shikamaru nodded his head while Naruto was still thinking about what was brought to their attention. "I guess so. But I never noticed anything wrong. I just thought I wanted to chase things because it's fun, not because it's something a fox would want to do."

"That's the thing about instincts, Naruto," said Ino. "It's in your nature so you don't think twice about it. You just do it because it comes naturally. That's why you didn't notice you were doing it."

"Ok, fine. Then we'll just have to get a move on and get those guys to fix this."

"We all want to solve this, Naruto, but we can't throw caution to the wind. We have to plan and make sure everything's in order," said Shino. "We're concerned about both of you. You especially, Naruto. Unlike Shikamaru, you have the Nine-tailed fox sealed inside you. We don't know what that might do. Lady Tsunade was concerned about the same thing. For you, it's more pressing."

"Yeah, I get that. You guys told me already. That's why I said we should run. We'll get their faster."

"Naruto, what about Shikamaru?" said Ino. "What if there are hunters nearby and they spot him? We can't risk him getting killed. We can't move too fast and risk him being left behind. As long as we stay in a group, no one is likely to try anything. If there's distance between us and he's spotted, he's at risk. See what I'm saying?"

Naruto folded his arms. "Yeah, I guess," he lied. He only partly understood what she was saying and got a mental picture in his head. Hunters never tried anything if there were humans close by. He figured that's what she was talking about.

"Then how do we get there faster if..." Shikamaru paused, realizing he was talking and no one could understand him. "Psst! Naruto."

"Yeah, yeah." He was getting pretty tired of parroting everything Shikamaru told him. "He asked how we can get there faster? Are there shortcuts?"

Shino pulled out a map from his bag. "I was going over this before we left the hut." He pointed. "I believe this is the village they were talking about. It's the only one around for miles and it's the closest one to the other village we came from. If we stay on this path, we should get there in about a day or so."

"I thought we were supposed to get there in two days. Wouldn't that be three?" Naruto asked. "I mean, weren't we supposed to be there tomorrow or something?"

"Let's not forget we wasted one day at the hut in the woods. We lost some time so it will take longer."

Naruto pouted.

Shino looked back at the map. He had noticed this but decided to keep it to himself. There was a faster way to the village but it was through a dense forest with no road. They decided it was for the best that both Naruto and Shikamaru avoid going into the wilderness as much as possible. They were still in the woods, but the paths they were on were wide and safe. They had to keep those two from being in the forest as much as possible. Too much nature wasn't good. It could make their animal instincts stronger.

Naruto looked at the map and pointed. "What about here? See? It cuts right through where we need to go, shaving the time in half. We'll get there tomorrow for sure if we take this short cut into the forest."

This was exactly what Shino was trying to avoid. It may take them less time, but their exposure to nature would be constant and there would be nothing to remind them of civilization. It wasn't worth the risk.

"No, I think we should stay on the path."

"What?!" Naruto couldn't believe it. "But why? That'll take even more time. It makes more sense to cut through here so we'll make it in a day instead of two."

"I think it's a bad idea to cut through the woods like that," said Shino, trying not to worry Naruto with the real reason for doing this. "It might be difficult for Shikamaru to move through this dense forest. And there might be animals. Dangerous ones. Like bears and things. It'll be safer and easier on the path. We're taking the path."

"But the shortcut-"

"Naruto, forget about the shortcut. We're not taking it."

Naruto pinned his ears back. "That doesn't make any sense at all. We're trying to make up for lost time but you're taking on the longer route. We're not saving time, we're wasting it. There's a perfectly good shortcut through the forest."

"I said we're not taking it."

"If this is about Shikamaru, then I'll go. I made it through the forest before no problem when I was getting food and stuff. It'll be easy for me."

"No," Shino said forcefully. "You are not going alone."

"Then Sakura will come with me."

"We're staying together. No one splits from the group. We stay on this path together. That's final."

"Why do-"

"Naruto, he's the leader of the group so do what he says and zip it!" Sakura yelled.

At her loud frightening tone, Naruto's ears lowered and he slumped submissively. "O... ok..." He walked behind her, staying quiet and low.

She didn't mean to startle him but that's what happened. "No... Naruto, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you." She never apologized for yelling at him, even when he didn't deserve it. However, seeing him with those puppy eyes and submissive posture made her feel terrible for raising her voice. Her gentle tone seemed to work and Naruto no longer looked upset.

Shikamaru noticed Naruto's behavior and frowned. Was this how he looked when he was frightened? They had to change back as soon as possible. Things were only going to get worse if they didn't.

* * *

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	7. Shortcut

**Chapter 7: Shortcut**

As night fell, the group set up camp on the path they were taking. Shino refused for them to leave the road, even to set up the tent he had been hiding in his bag the whole time. He wanted to make sure Naruto and Shikamaru kept their distance from nature as much as possible, which meant they had to stay away from trees, brush and just about anything that wasn't man-made. He asked Sakura to keep an eye on those two while he and Ino set up the tent. Naruto kept trying to go into the woods but Sakura wouldn't let him. She came up with all sorts of excuses for him to stay put.

After a quick dinner, everyone went to bed. Shino took the first watch. Naruto didn't think they needed a lookout but didn't realize Shino was actually watching them. He wanted to make sure Naruto didn't sneak off in the middle of the night to wander into the woods. At 2:30, Ino switched with him. So far, Naruto and Shikamaru were both asleep. It didn't look like they were going anywhere. Since Shikamaru was too large to fit into the tent without poking holes in it with his antlers, he had to sleep outside. She couldn't see him from inside the tent, but since he expressed no desire to leave the camp, she thought he was safe to leave on his own.

However, around 3:00, she stuck her head outside to check on him. He was still there with his back to her. She looked back at the fox-boy curled up in his sleeping bag. She couldn't see his head, but she saw his tail swishing back and forth. Then it tucked inside his sleeping bag and his entire body was hidden. She sat in front of the door, making sure he didn't leave. She dragged her sleeping bag in front of the tent's only exit and stretched out in front of it. There was no way he could leave without stepping on her in the process. If he tried anything, she would be the first to know. Even if she chose to rest her eyes for a minute. She kept her head propped up on her arm, facing Naruto's sleeping bag.

What she didn't notice was that the sleeping bag was stuffed full of leaves and dirt Naruto had dragged in from outside through a tiny slit he had made in the lining of the tent. The opening was just large enough for him to slip through. No one would be able to see the hole unless they moved his sleeping bag out of the way and looked at the ground. It was perfectly inconspicuous.

It was just like squeezing under a fence. Naruto's flexible body easily fit through the opening he had made with his new claws and into open air. The cool night air felt good on his warm cheeks. Naruto reached back through the hole and dragged out his backpack. Then he carefully crept over to Shikamaru and tapped him on the shoulder. He was still awake.

"What is it, Naruto?" he whispered softly.

Naruto kept his voice down, too, so the others wouldn't hear him and wake up. "So you can't sleep either after hearing Shino, huh? It doesn't make any sense to take us the long way if we're only going to get worse."

"I guess we're both thinking the same thing."

"Yeah. Let's go."

Shikamaru knew it.

"The way Shino's calling the shots, we'll get to the next village in a month. If we take the shortcut, we'll be there by morning. Besides, the dark isn't a problem for me. I can see just fine." He could. Naruto found himself being able to see just as well at night as he could during the day. The darkness had little effect on him. "Shino's taking too long. We'll get there in no time taking the path through the trees. It'll cut the time in half. Why can't he see that?"

"I know. I don't want to be a deer any longer than I have to. If this is only going to get worse the longer we wait, we should take the faster path."

Naruto nodded. "Right. Then let's go. Right now." Naruto slipped his bag on his back, ready to move. "They'll only try to stop us. We have to sneak out."

Shikamaru nodded his head and started to get up. He didn't feel right about leaving without telling anyone, but Nauro had a good point. They didn't want them to take the shortcut so they were bound to stop them if they knew what they were plotting. They couldn't tell anyone their plans. He could always apologize later once they were back to normal. Hopefully by the afternoon both of them would be cured.

Naruto scampered to the other side of the path and waited for Shikamaru. His hoof-beats didn't make a sound on the road. Deer were so quiet. And they could see quite well at night. Shikamaru wasn't having any problems seeing the path. He crossed the road and stood beside Naruto facing the forest ahead. It was so thick and stretched on for ages. The trees were so tall and thick, it made him feel as though he were an inch tall. Insects chirped and buzzed, as if giving them warning to stay away.

Unafraid, Naruto entered the forest. "Come on," he whispered and ran ahead. Shikamaru had no choice but to follow. He took one cautious step into the grass and paused. Everything was fine. He took another step. Soon, he was walking just as quickly as he would on the road. Though the forest was dense, it bore no issue to his four long legs. He followed Naruto up the hill and deep into the forest.

* * *

Sakura pulled apart the sleeping bag, dirt and leaves falling at her feet. Ino stood outside the tent and called their names, begging for them to show themselves. Sakura paced the tent, looking every which way.

"Gone. Both of them." Sakura went back to camp. "They're both gone."

"But I was by the door the whole night," said Ino. "It was zipped up tight and next to my head. Even if I did fall asleep, I would have heard Naruto leaving. How could he escape? I could see his tail from the sleeping bag. I thought he was inside."

Shino pointed to the slit in the tent. "Here's how he got out. He cut a hole in the tent. No one noticed it because of the way it was cut and because it was hidden by his sleeping bag. Clever of him."

Sakura sighed. "We should have known something was wrong when he got quiet. Naruto snores like crazy which is why we all carry earplugs."

"How could I have been so stupid?" Ino slapped her forehead in aggravation. "I should have checked on him more closely. All I did was look at his sleeping bag. I never went over to see if he was still there after his tail went inside. I thought... God, I'm an idiot."

"We have to go after them. You heard Shino. They can't be on their own."

"We don't even know when they ran off. They could be miles away by now. We don't even know where they went."

"Where else would they go?" Sakura said. "Obviously they went on the shortcut Naruto saw on the map so they would get to the village faster. That's what he was complaining about yesterday."

"That can't be it. Naruto left the map behind. It's still there in Shino's bag. Look."

"It doesn't matter," said Sakura. "I've never seen Naruto use a map in my life. I doubt he can even follow one. The fact that he left the map behind doesn't mean anything."

"Then how does he know where he's going? What if he got himself lost? This is Naruto after all."

"He may be a moron but he isn't stupid," Sakura said, folding her arms. Saying such a thing about anyone else wouldn't make any sense, but for Naruto he fit it to a T.

Shino rolled up Naruto's sleeping bag and brushed the leaves out of the tent he was preparing to take down. "Naruto and Shikamaru are both gone. Our earlier thought of them using the bathroom isn't correct. They wouldn't be gone for this long, plus Naruto took his backpack with him. He left this behind and didn't take the map but it's pretty clear what he's trying to do. He's taking that shortcut."

It was just as they feared. They were both gone.

"How could I have been so stupid?" This time it was Shino saying it.

"It's not your fault, Shino."

"We told them about their animal instincts. We didn't tell them the reason why we didn't want them going off on that shortcut, especially alone. Maybe if we had told them the dangers, they wouldn't have left. I should have explained more than I did."

Sakura tried to comfort him. "Hey, this is Naruto we're talking about. Would he listen? Even after you tell him why he shouldn't do something? Naruto's not that type. If anything, he takes it as a challenge. If you told him about his animal instincts getting stronger the more he's in the woods, he would say that he can suppress it or something. The point is, he would have done this anyway. He always runs off and does his own thing, no matter what we say."

That much was true about Naruto. Shino had seen his recklessness firsthand. Many times. It was exactly as Sakura said. Naruto simply would not listen and couldn't stay still. This was no one's fault.

"So now what do we do?" asked Ino. "Do we go to the next village on this path or take the shortcut and hope we run into them? Or do we look for them and forget about the village for now?"

Shino stood up, tent now packed. "No. We go to the next village as planned. We know that's where they're heading. Plus, now we can move a little faster. Just not too fast in case we spot them on the way. In case they're lost, I have a plan for that." Shino held out his arm and a small swarm of bugs started to gather on his hand. "I'll send out my insects to search for them. Once they're located, by insects will come back and report to me. They'll tell me where they are."

"Awesome," said Ino. "So this is why Lady Tsunade wanted a tracker on our team. Just in case they split. This is perfect."

"Great. So we have a plan." Sakura turned down their path, ready to catch up with the rest of their team. "Let's just hope they're not in too bad a way when we find them."

* * *

Walking through the forest wasn't so bad. Shikamaru grew used to the tall grass and thick tress quickly. It was a thick forest but it was very tranquil. The path they would have been taking was wide and open. Taking this path made everything seem closer. He wasn't intimidated. It made him feel secure somehow. On that open path, he felt vulnerable. Here he felt safe and protected. Plus, if he got hungry, there were berries right beside him. It was very convenient.

The trees began to open up into a natural path and grew wider until there were no trees in one area. If Shikamaru had to describe it, it looked like a very small field. It looked like a good napping spot. Naruto was already doing somersaults in it. He seemed excited about this open area and proceeded to play. Naruto's foot landed in something wet and be crouched down to investigate. The depression held the remains of a small pond, bordered by a ring of irises and zinnias so colorful they almost looked poisonous. He stuck his nose in the flowers and a swarm of butterflies rose and fluttered away. Running on all fours, Naruto chased after them, pawing at them with his hands every now and again as they fled. When they were out of his reach, he crouched on the ground and watched them fly away.

"Naruto," Shikamaru called him. "This is no time to be playing around. We have to get to the village."

"I know that."

Shikamaru lifted his head and peered through the tree branches. The sky was brightening. It was morning. No wonder there were butterflies. He hadn't noticed the sun rising. They must have been making good time with this shortcut. He took a quick drink from the tiny pond and entered the crowd of trees with Naruto.

Before long, Naruto's nose was twitching. "I smell something burning."

"Burning?" Shikamaru started sniffing. Amazing! His nose was so sensitive, he could smell everything around him as if it were right under his nose. He concentrated on the smell of smoke. It smelled like burning wood. And stone and ash. "That's a fireplace. Someone must be cooking something."

"That's what it smells like? But I don't smell any food."

"It smells like that before it's cooked. They must be getting ready to start cooking the food. The fire must have just started building."

"How can you tell that?"

"My mom's done it and so has my dad. I know what a fire smells like when you first build it. Trust me."

"Then we must be close." Naruto started running through the trees faster than Shikamaru could keep up. Naruto was so agile. A ninja should have been, but Naruto was moving differently. Maybe his fox parts were giving him a hand in this. It was giving him a burst of speed and swiftness.

Shikamaru tried to keep up. Moving his four legs had become natural to him, making running in this form easier. Even moving through the trees in a dense forest had become easier. In no time, he was right on top of Naruto. Shikamaru slowed to a stop, noticing how Naruto wasn't running anymore.

They had reached the outskirts of the forest. The ground had leveled out and the smell of smoke was even stronger. Up ahead were buildings and a small piked fence surrounding them. They had reached the village.

Shikamaru was so relieved. Naruto seemed to share in his joy. They approached the village together.

The fence was old and bent in places. Some parts had fallen from the line entirely. Since the fence was no taller than Naruto's waist, something told them it was purely for show. On the other side were flowers. Rows and rows of beautiful flowers of all colors. A garden welcomed them with an alluring scent, as if to say they would to taken care of and there was no reason to fear. The smells were even stronger to Shikamaru's nose and made him feel as if he had just walked into a perfume department. It was a nice scent, but powerful and mixed.

Ahead were the buildings. They looked well-kept and cozy. There were few people out this early in the morning. If Shikamaru had to guess the time, it must have been around seven in the morning. He could see movement through the windows, but no one seemed to be outside yet.

"Hello!" Naruto called to the empty street before them, leading through the other buildings. "Hello! We're looking for the Susumu clan! We're-"

Shikamaru headbutted him from behind.

"Ow! What?"

"Do you ever think?" Shikamaru scolded him. "If they turned us into animals and took away all those women, we have to assume they're the enemy. Don't announce yourself like that."

"Sorry. I just wanted to find them quick. Don't you?"

Shikamaru's nose twitched, picking up a scent. "Follow me. I smell something familiar."

"What is it?"

"It smells like the other village. The one we came from a couple days ago that told us to come here. Why would that smell be here? Unless something from that village came to this one."

Naruto's ears twitched. "You think it's the village women that were taken or something?"

"Maybe. It's this way." Shikamaru took Naruto down the street to where the scent was strongest. Shikamaru came to a sudden stop in front of another fence. This one was different from the one around the village. This one was made from chicken wire and wrapped around thick pieces of wood which may have been from a tree rooted to that spot at one time. The roots were still in the ground, keeping the fence in place.

Beyond that was a building. The paint was peeling and flacks were falling into the dead grass. It smelled like mud and water, though they couldn't see any. There were lawn chairs scattered around the dead yard and large barrels stood by the building, filled with rainwater from the gutters.

Shikamaru flinched and lowered his head. There were men in the yard, talking. He backed away slowly.

"What are you, shy?" Naruto shoved him forward. "We have to get cured, right?"

That's right. They had to talk to them. This was no time to be timid.

Then Shikamaru noticed the man in the red shirt. That was their leader. They saw him on the tower when he was barking orders. It was definitely him.

The man sat in a lawn chair and chatted with the men standing at his side. They were smiling and laughing. Then they stopped and turned their heads to the two at the gate. A deer and a boy with a tail.

"You the Susumu clan people?" asked the boy with the tail.

The leader sighed, rolling his eyes. "Let me guess... You were the ninja at the other village, aren't you?"

Naruto and Shikamaru nodded.

The man stood up from his chair and beckoned them. "Come on."

* * *

What will we find out? What is the Susumu clan up to? What awaits them in the next chapter?

Read and find out ^-^

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	8. Conditions

**Chapter 8: Conditions**

Naruto started to lift his foot off the ground to follow then planted it where he stood. Shikamaru didn't move at all.

The man turned around, noticing they weren't coming. "Come on."

Naruto shook his head from side to side. "We talk out here."

"It would be better if you come inside with me."

Again Naruto shook his head. "Anything you have to say, say it out here."

"Why?"

"Because you could be luring us into a trap. We're going into your place with your people on our own and we don't know what to expect. Once we're inside, it would be easy for you to lock us up or worse. Out here we have a chance to make a quick getaway. At least that's what Shikamaru just said. I agree, though."

The man sighed and stood in front of the open door. "If you want answers, you're going to have to come inside. I'm not telling you anything out here. Besides, you two look like you could use some food. I promise I won't do anything. You're ninja anyway. You can easily overpower me if you needed."

He had a point. Plus, Naruto was pretty hungry. If this man was offering a free meal, who was he to say no? Naruto stepped forward. Shikamaru tried to grab the back of his jacket with his teeth and missed. He couldn't leave Naruto alone. He had to follow.

The inside of the building smelled musty and damp, like wet grass. There were three different hallways they could take but the man took them down the one on the left. Shikamaru's hooves clopped on the wooden boards with every step. He was right behind Naruto, peering around constantly. The hall took them to an open area. It was like a little courtyard surrounded by hallways and bedrooms.

Naruto stopped and stared into the open area. "What the..?" He moved away from the group and over to the walled-in courtyard, leaning over the handrail.

Women and children. They were all in the yard, talking and laughing. The children were playing and some were cuddling up to their mothers. Some women were folding clothes and chatting and others were tending to their daughters or sewing.

"Are those... the women from the village?"

"You have a good eye." The man had come over to pull Naruto on his way. "They are the women. Another reason why I wanted you to come inside. I'll explain. Come this way."

Naruto followed the man away from the yard but kept his eye on the women until they were out of sight. They were led to a room nearby and told to sit down at the table. There weren't any chairs to sit on, just cushions and the table was short. Naruto took a seat while Shikamaru struggled to figure out how he was going to do this. He ended up sitting down on the floor, missing the cushions. Naruto thought he looked a lot like a dog sitting at the table of its master. Shikamaru didn't look too comfortable.

"I should introduce myself," said the man. "I'm Ko. I'm the head of the Susumu clan. Sorry about the other day at the other village. You must have gotten a bad impression of us."

"I'm Naruto and this is Shikamaru. And yeah, we kinda did. Didn't you kidnap those women? What exactly is going on? I sort of thought they would be locked up in a dungeon or tortured or something."

"No, far from it. We're not monsters. We do this every five years. It's tradition."

"Tradition to steal women from another village?"

Ko shook his head. "No, no. You have the wrong idea. Please let me explain."

Naruto's eyes wandered from Ko and over to the tray of food placed in front of him on the table. Fresh fruit and bacon and bread. He reached over and started grabbing. Shikamaru butted him again. "Ow! What? I'm listening."

"Eat all you like. We have plenty." Ko watched Naruto with an amused expression. He watched him carefully and studied how he ate with his clawed fingers. "Hungry, huh?"

"Starving. Eat, Shikamaru. He's offering."

"We're here to get information and get cured. Not stuff our faces!"

"What's wrong with doing both?"

"Did your deer... I mean, Shikamaru, just asked for information?"

"Yeah." Naruto swallowed. "You can understand him?"

"No. Just going off of your response and his expression." Ko sighed. "This isn't the first time I've seen people transformed into animals."

Naruto stopped eating. "You've seen this before? When? Where?"

"It's a long story. If you don't mind hearing it."

"No, no. Tell it." Naruto was very interested. "Also tell us about the women and the whole tradition thing."

"Well, you know the village you were at a few days ago? It used to be a lot bigger. In fact, we used to be part of it," said Ko.

"Really?"

"Yes. Our clans and villages were joined by marriage. The bride was from our clan and her husband was from that village. We became one when they were married. However, our clans didn't like each other very much. Mostly ours didn't like theirs. The Susumu clan always took pride in being strong and powerful. We protected our village against many dangers. We knew how to fight. The other village were mostly farmers. However, they did have men who didn't work. In fact, they didn't do much of anything. Our clan thought they were lazy. When we became one, we expected them to take part in what the joined village did."

"Let me guess. They didn't?" Naruto had a gut feeling about this one.

Ko sighed heavily. "You got it. Robbers tried to enter our village many times and it was the Susumu clan who drove them off while the men did nothing. We tried to train them but they insisted they knew what they were doing. However, whenever there was danger, they would call for us to come help them rather than fight for themselves. We thought they were cowards. Once, a woman was coming in from the field with her husband and they were jumped by a thief. He had a knife and threatened them. The husband stood still and watched the thief rob his wife's basket and did nothing to help her. When the Susumu clan questioned him he said 'what was I supposed to do?' and claimed that it was best to give them what they wanted rather than put his own life of the line. We thought he was a true coward, to let his own wife be robbed right in front of his eyes and he did nothing. It was one man. He could have done something."

"Did you guys train him?"

"We tried training many men in the village. Some were too lazy. Some did well, if only to get us to shut up about it." Ko became quiet for a moment and hung his head. "Then one night, there was a murder. The husband from the marriage merge. The one our clan member married. He was found dead in his house, blood was everywhere. It was during their watch."

Naruto's ears lowered. "The other clan was on watch that night?"

"Yes. We were certain the man was murdered. When we questioned the other clan, no one would own up to it. They blamed it on someone else."

"The murder?"

"No. Who allowed it to happen. Someone was away from their post. They should have been on watch but no one was found. Because of this, a man was dead. No one would take blame for that. In fact, some of the clan members said we were the ones who should have prevented it. It was our fault for putting them in charge that night, knowing they would be too lazy to be bothered to do it. Others said we were to blame because we were so strong, we should have been able to do something without their help. That started a massive fight between the clans."

"What about the wife? Your clan member?"

Ko sighed again. "She was so upset, she left the village. She said she couldn't take it anymore. Our bickering, no one owning up to anything, the constant blaming others and no one ever being at fault. With her husband dead and everyone pointing fingers at each other, she decided to leave and never returned. She wanted nothing to do with either clan. Story has it she moved to another village and stayed there to the end of her days."

Shikamaru nudged Naruto with a question. "How long ago did this happen, Shikamaru asks."

"About one hundred years ago. I wasn't born yet. Anyone who was alive back then to witness it is dead by now."

"Oh." Naruto had a question of his own. "What does this have to do with the women now?"

"Ah, yes. You see, after that and the wife left, our clans split again. Their village went back to being small and we went back to our land here. Even though we were no longer joined, we still worried about the other clan and the village. We feared for the women and children and their safety. The men clearly wouldn't do anything in the face of danger. So our clans had a meeting. It went on for days with much agruing. Finally, they settled on an interesting idea. If the men could prove themselves to our clan and show that they could protect their own people, we wouldn't interfere. We would test them. If they couldn't live up to our standards, we would take their women with us to a safe place and protect them ourselves. Which is why we had those three challenges. Those are the tests that were set up many years ago."

Shikamaru's brown eyes lit up. "I get it. Those tests make perfect sense."

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto.

"Don't you see? All those tests were to challenge them in certain ways but very practical ones. It's a lot like what we went through during the exams. Remember? They were just made easier because they weren't ninja so the bar is set lower than it would be for us."

"How does it work for them?" Naruto asked. "You said it made perfect sense."

"Think about it. The first challenge was against an armed man. Much like the thief who assaulted the man and his wife. They wanted to see if the men could stand up against and armed stranger. They have to be able to do that in order to protect not only themselves but others as well. The clan wasn't going to be there to help protect them anymore so they would have to be able to do it themselves which is what all those challenges were for."

Naruto had to admit, it did make a lot of sense. "What about the second challenge?"

"Teamwork coupled with impaired vision and less than ideal conditions. It was also to test them physically. Their endurance. Being under water, against three crocodiles you can barely see and have to find something you don't know much about. We didn't know which one had the object we were looking for. On missions, we go through a similar thing. We don't know where it is or if we're being baited. Same thing there. In that challenge, they had to do multiple things at once with one main goal."

"I thought they were alligators. Whatever. And the last one?"

"Again, more less than ideal conditions. There were so many things happening in that last challenge. What if there's an ambush at the village at night in the middle of a huge rainstorm and someone caused a stamped as a distraction, just to make things even harder. It was also our only timed challenge. Most of the time, time is of the essence. It's a race against the clock. It was also a hostage situation. We had to get there before the woman fell. A life was in danger, which happens on real missions. You know this."

Naruto nodded. "You're right. So they were testing them on a number of things that could happen to make sure they could handle themselves." Then he frowned. "Still, why put that woman at risk for the sake of a challenge?"

"Oh, we were never going to actually drop her," said Ko. "We just said that so there would be more danger and add to the urgency. Her falling was a complete accident. We never expected her to move like that. Our guy was reaching for her to put the harness on just in case and she fell over the edge."

"Ha!" Naruto pointed his finger in Shikamaru's face. "So I did make the right call! It was a good thing I broke the rules to save her!"

"You cost us the mission, Naruto! You! The fault is yours!"

Ko coughed to get their attention. "This challenge has been going on for one hundred years. The other clan managed to win the first few times and we were pleased. Then they got cocky and stopped training themselves, thinking they had natural talent. Then we took the women as punishment for losing the challenge. However, we always return the women after one year. We keep them that long for safety and for the men to sweat it out. Now that they know the women will be returned, it seems they've stopped caring. Because of this, some of us feel we should keep the women longer to scare them."

Since the men expected the women's return, they no longer bothered to take things seriously. They were taking everything for granted.

"And we have rules in place. One of the rules is no outside help," Ko explained. "The whole point of this challenge is for them to fight for themselves because help won't always come in time and they need to be able to do things on their own. Calling you broke the rules so we took the women. Normally, the village is allowed multiple tries over the course of a week. When they break the rules, they get no more chances and we take them. They knew this. They also knew they wouldn't be able to win as they were without help, like they haven't for the past few years. They've been failing more and more and now they're calling for aid. You guys are ninja. You can easily do these tasks. That is a massive rule breaker. They knew they couldn't not call for ninja and they did it anyway."

"So that's why that guy didn't want us to use any of our ninja skills. Dead giveaway." Naruto started eating a banana. "Sorry about all that. We were just hired to do a job. He didn't tell us this stuff."

"No, he wouldn't. No one from that village would because they knew you wouldn't help if you knew you would be breaking the rules for them."

"Then why are we animals? Explain that," said Shikamaru. When Ko did not respond, Shikamaru nudged for Naruto to translate.

"Shikamaru wants to know why we're animals. You said you've seen this before right?"

"Oh, right." Ko sat up straight in his seat. "We've seen this once before. Two of our clan members were transformed into animals nearly ten years ago."

"Really?" Naruto leaned forward.

"As a matter of fact, you met them during your second challenge."

Naruto cocked his head. "Hm? We did?"

Shikamaru nudged him. "The crocodiles."

"Shikamaru says-"

"Idiot, I was telling you that!"

"Sorry! I can't always tell what you want me to translate. Sheesh!"

"Your friend is right, Naruto. Two of those crocodiles are our friends. We were coming back from a challenge and they started feeling sick. One went into his room to sleep it off and the other went into the bathroom, thinking he was going to throw up. A couple hours later we found them. They were both crocodiles. We knew it had to be them because of where we found them. Plus, they told us who they were."

"You understood them?"

Ko nodded. "For part of the afternoon. Then all they could do was hiss. They were just as freaked out as we were. We didn't know what happened to them." Ko's gaze fell to the table, looking saddened. "We could no longer speak the same language, so we had to resort to other things. We started to notice a change in them soon after. They would only eat meat and wanted to stay in water for long periods of time. Then one day, they started snapping at us every time we came close. They would show us they were sorry when they came to their senses. But one time, there was no apology. They snapped and kept snapping from that day on. That was when we came to realize that they had become animals completely. They were no longer human."

Naruto felt frozen, held in place by fear and worry. "So... They lost their minds? They became crocodiles on the inside and the outside?"

"It would seem so. We tried everything to get them back but I think this will never change. They're stuck like this. They no longer recognize us. They have the minds of the animals they became." Ko lowered his head and Naruto could sense his sadness. "They were my clansmen. My friends."

"I'm sorry." Naruto meant it. It must have been horrible to watch his close friends and clan members become animals to the point they would no longer remember ever being friends. "So once they were gone, that was it? How long did that take?"

Ko had to think about it. "Uh... I suppose... about... a little over a week maybe? It did happen ten years ago. They started to act like animals before but one day they never came back and stayed that way. Even in their eyes, I could tell they were no longer in there. The animal had taken over."

Shikamaru and Naruto exchanged worried looks. Would that happen to them, too? Were they going to become animals permanently?

"Even so, we couldn't stand to put them down," Ko went on. "They were a part of our clan, after all. So we kept them with us, even after that. We put them in challenges so they would still be helping out and they have a pond in the back they can hang around in. We're still caring for them."

"But what changed them?" asked Naruto. "How did it happen?"

"To this day, we don't know. We still have no idea. We came back from the challenge, they said they felt sick and the next thing anyone knew, they had changed into animals."

"Sort of like us. I felt sick and then this happened." Naruto held up his furry tail. "We came back from the village after that challenge and here we are. Did the challenge do this to us?"

"I doubt it. We do this every five years and this has never happened before. Even after they changed, the following years were uneventful."

"Is it because we broke the rules?"

"No. They weren't in the challenge and they changed. And if it had to deal with rule-breaking then the man who employed you would have been changed as well."

"No, he's fine. We saw him." Naruto scratched his head. "I don't get it. Why did we change and not other people? Did those two guys do anything like we did? Maybe it was something they did or said or ate."

"Nothing worth mentioning. They have different likes for food, sleep in separate rooms. The one thing they really did together was play cards and other games. They were always accusing each other of cheating. But they do that sort of thing all the time. Otherwise, they argue about chores and who does what. Things like who left the water running and got the floor all wet, who didn't wash the table off and got sticky all over the papers they set down. Even whose fault it was something got eaten and no one is owning up to it. It was their thing. They always did that. So often, I've lost track over who says who did what. It was such a headache."

This didn't help very much. They still had no reason for this. Why did this happen? They still didn't know the cause.

The siding door opened and in came another member. "Ko, I couldn't help but overhear."

"Were you listening at the door, Keshi?" asked Ko.

The man looked down. "Maybe a little..." He lifted his head. "Can I say my piece anyway? It maybe important."

"Go ahead."

Keshi sat on the floor beside Naruto and Shikamaru. "It's about the wife from the story he told. Her name was Aramary. My grandfather told me about what his father had told him. My great-grandfather was there the night she found her husband dead. He heard what she had to say."

"What was it?" Naruto leaned forward, his pointed ears flicking slightly.

"That night, according to him, she became furious at the two clans. They were constantly blaming the other and never taking fault but passed it on to someone else. Even the ones who knew they were at fault wouldn't be truthful and now it had cost someone their life. She said she didn't care whose fault it was, she just wanted the fighting between the two to stop. She wasn't blaming anyone. Still, they fought. Even in front of the dead body of her husband. Finally, she snapped at them and announced that she was leaving because she couldn't take it anymore. She said that they were barking and snapping at each other like animals. Without rules they were no better than beasts. Would they be able to talk something over and decide something like humans or snap at each other like animals? She said something along those lines."

Naruto's ears perked up. "You think what she said has something to do with what happened to us? Was she a witch? Did she put a curse on us?"

Keshi shook his head. "She was no witch. However, they say that strong emotions could cause some strange things to happen. Because she felt so strongly about this, she managed to curse the land simply by feeling something so hard. I'm sure it's the land that's curse if there is a curse. Those two argued all the time here and nothing ever happened. They did it there and they came back as animals. You must not be able to do it on the land or you would become animals. I'm sure that's it."

Naruto's ear twitched as Shikamaru said something in his. "But you still have no way to cure us, asks Shikamaru."

"Not a clue." Keshi snapped his fingers. "However, maybe there is someone who can help you. Aramary."

Ko shook his head. "She never contacted the clan again after she left. She was so pissed off at everyone. Besides, she's been long dead by now. She would be at least 130 or 140 if she were still alive."

"Maybe, but she was expecting a child when she left," said Keshi. "According to my great-grandfather, she was due to have a baby in a few months. When she went to a new village, she must have had it there. Which means we have a possible descendant. Maybe they could do something to help them, if we can find them."

"That's something," said Naruto. "What's the village?"

"We don't know where it is exactly. We don't even know the name. She just said she was going to another village. Possibly the next one. With her expecting a baby, she couldn't travel too far without help. She was on her own."

"Where's the closest village, asks Shikamaru."

Keshi pointed over his shoulder. "The closest one would be in that direction. It's like a flower. Um... Um... Lica Village, I think. Something like that. I can get you a map."

"That's fine. It's just the next one, right?" Naruto pointed. "That way, right?" He turned his head, looking at the deer. "Do we really need a map? Then you carry it." Naruto frowned. "Hey, don't go there."

Keshi grinned, raising his brow. "I wish I knew what that deer was saying."

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	9. Do You Mind?

**Chapter 9: Do You Mind?**

With much persuasion, Shikamaru managed to convince Naruto to take a map from the Susumu clan. Now that the two of them had eaten their fill, it was time to get going. At least, that was what Shikamaru thought. As soon as he looked away, Naruto scurried off somewhere, leaving Shikamaru to find him.

His hooves clopped on the wooden floorboards, looking for his friend. He called Naruto's name but he didn't answer. He found a door leading outside and poked around in the yard. It was a small yard, completely fenced in. There was mud everywhere and dead grass. It was clear that the children from the other village didn't play here. The lack of toys told him that. Near the back of the yard was a small pond. In front of that pond was the boy he was looking for.

"Naruto, we have to go."

"Just a sec." Naruto was crouched on all fours, staring at the water. His ears rotated and flicked, sensing something.

Shikamaru peered over his back at the water. A scaly face was staring back. It was a crocodile. Its dead eyes were on Naruto. It looked like they were having a staring contest. "Naruto, what are you doing?"

"This is one of the guys from their clan that got changed, remember? I wanted to come and see him."

"Why?"

"To pay my respects. Or something like that. It just didn't feel right to just leave without seeing him."

"Why's that?"

"Just a feeling I have. It's something I had to do." Naruto leaned closer to the water.

As soon as he did, the crocodile lunged at him, its mouth wide open. Naruto jumped back just in time. Shikamaru ran for it. He turned around only when he was at the front step of the house. Naruto was still sitting on the ground, watching the crocodile watch him. It sank back into the water, hissing.

"Come on," called Shikamaru. "Let's get out of here."

Naruto picked himself up and started back towards the house. "Yeah, alright." He looked back at the water. He didn't look away until he was at the door. He stepped inside and gave the pond one final look before following Shikamaru down the hall.

"What's wrong?" Shikamaru asked him.

"Nothing." Naruto kept his head down. "I just... I thought I would be able to understand him like I can understand you. Maybe I could have talked to him or something." He lifted his head slightly. "You want to give it a try, Shikamaru?"

"No thanks. I don't want to."

To Shikamaru, seeing those crocodiles was like looking at what could be if they didn't change back in time. They, too, would suffer the same fate. Shikamaru didn't want that at all. Seeing those two was scary and not just because he was lower than them on the food-chain.

Maybe Naruto wanted to see them so he could get a better understanding of what was to happen. Maybe he was trying to reach them and help them remember that they were once human. Maybe he was trying to ask them what it was like to change into an animal completely. Or maybe he was seeing them out of pity. Shikamaru couldn't be certain. In some ways, Naruto was very complicated.

Naruto and Shikamaru thanked Ko and the rest of the clan for their help and were on their way.

With map in hand, Naruto led the way out of the village and back into the woods. They followed the path through the trees and onto the main road. Looking at the map, Naruto planned out where they were going to go. "I think it's that way."

Along the way, Naruto started talking cheerfully about what they were going to do.

"Hey, when we figure out how to change back, we can come back here and tell Ko and the others and change the crocodiles back to humans. That'd be awesome!"

Shikamaru didn't share in his cheerfulness. He was too busy worrying. What if they didn't make it in time and were stuck like this forever? What of there was no cure? Something even worse entered Shikamaru's mind and it made him so scared he felt like crying or bolting.

"Naruto..." His voice was shaking he was so frightened of the thought. "Naruto."

He wasn't listening and kept chatting away as he walked. "And we'll come back to the village and tell everyone what happened. Oh, we'll have to apologize to Sakura and the others for running off like that. But it'll all be worth it when we're-"

"Naruto!"

He stopped and turned around. "What?" he asked frowning.

"I just had a horrible thought."

"Yeah?"

Shikamaru stood perfectly still. "It's about what Shino and Ko said. And..."

"Yeah? Spit it out?"

"What..." Shikamaru lifted his head, showing Naruto's his fearful expression. "What if our animal minds take over and we forget about changing back to normal? What if we end up thinking we are animals and that we shouldn't do anything? What if we forget about everything and we end up straying from the path and never change back?"

Naruto cocked his head. "Huh? What are you talking about? How could we forget we were human or about our mission? That's silly. How could we think being animals is right?"

"It could come so easily, Naruto. Like you eating mice you caught in the woods. To a human, that's gross. To you it's perfectly normal. You didn't think anything of it, right? But you're a human, so shouldn't you have thought something about it?"

Naruto cocked his head again.

"I mean, something that comes so naturally could be wrong. Maybe... maybe we were wrong to leave the group like that."

Naruto scoffed. "They were slowing us down. We had to. We got there super fast because of that shortcut. We're making great time now."

"But what if being with them was the only thing keeping us rooted? What if spending time away from our group makes us lose track of who we are? What if being around humans is keeping us human?"

"You worry too much. I'm telling you, we'll be fine." Naruto started walking again.

"But..." Shikamaru called after him. "But I'm noticing some things myself now. There is a difference in us. Between us. We are changing. And I'm aware of it."

Naruto turned around. "What do you mean?"

"I'm a full deer physically. But mentally, I'm still myself for the most part. But sometimes, I end up acting like a real deer. I'm not usually this skittish. Even me allowing you to talk me into leaving the rest of the group. How do I know that was me making the choice or the deer mind I'm starting to get? Would I have chosen to do that or the deer?"

Naruto cocked his again again. "Huh?"

"You're turning into a fox more slowly, but you're acting like one more than I am. What if... what if you're becoming a fox on the inside faster than on the outside and what if I'm becoming a deer on the outside more than on the inside?"

"You've lost me. Can't we just get going? The longer we wait, the less chance we have of changing back. You want to change back, right?"

"... Yeah."

"Then let's go."

Shikamaru had more to say, but he knew Naruto was right. The faster they moved, the faster they would return to normal. At least, that's what he hoped.

* * *

Shino's group arrived at the village that morning. The people in the village were going about their activities as normal. Shino had yet to hear from his bugs so he had no new information. "I'm sure this is the village. This is where they were heading."

"I don't see them." Ino looked up and down the road, squinting her eyes. "Should we ask people? I mean, Naruto and Shikamaru wouldn't be that hard to spot. Know what I mean? The way they look..."

"I'm not so sure," said Sakura. "We don't know much about this Susumu clan. If they're the ones who put a curse on them of some kind, then they could be dangerous. After all, they are the ones who took those people from the other village. That's what Naruto told me."

"You really think they would do something to them?" Ino asked, though she didn't sound too concerned. "What reason would they have to hurt either of them? Or kidnap them? I don't think the clan is something to worry about."

"Still, we should be cautious," warned Shino. "Let's not look for trouble before we have to. Knowing Naruto, he would just barge in without thinking and alert everyone. I say we take a look around and see what we can find."

They stayed as a group and searched the village for any signs for their friends. They walked up and down the different streets and in yards and in windows. They tried not to call attention to themselves. Shino sent his bugs out to search the village more thoroughly. They reported back with no findings.

"Did they even make it this far?" asked Ino, getting annoyed. "They took the shortcut so shouldn't they be here by now? We can't find them anywhere."

"Maybe they got lost. Naruto was leading the way," said Sakura.

"No way," said Ino. "Shikamaru would have taken over and put Naruto on the right path. He might be lazy but he doesn't want to get lost. He's smart enough to take over if Naruto's going the wrong way."

"We've been here for almost an hour and we can't find any trace of them."

Shino was getting worried. Sakura had a point. Maybe they were lost and never came to the village. True, Shikamaru would have put Naruto on the right path. Ino was right about that. Naruto always did his own thing, but he would have listened to that. What had Shino worried was the possibility that they had gotten lost for another reason. What if their animal instincts called them away from their path and into the wild? In their current state, it wouldn't have taken much to distract them.

Shino looked down at a child who had been staring at them from the gate of their front yard. It was a little girl. She was looking at Shino's forehead and at the other two beside him. Shino cleared his throat, alerting the girls to the child.

Sakura tried to be friendly when she spoke to the girl. "Hello. Are you looking for something?"

The girl shook her head. "Are you looking for something?"

"Just our friends."

The girl pointed to her own forehead. "Did they have those band things you guys have?"

She was talking about their headbands. "Yes. Yes, they were."

"Was it a boy with a bushy tail and a deer?"

They had been to the village after all.

"See?" boasted Ino. "I told you they would be easy to spot."

"Where did you see them?" asked Sakura.

"They left the village this morning. I don't know where they went."

Sakura, Ino and Shino looked at each other. Now they had so many questions.

"Why would they leave the village? Is this the wrong one?"

"It can't be. This is the right one."

"Maybe they were told to go somewhere else?"

"Maybe they ran off to answer the call of the wild."

"You don't really think that, do you?"

"I'm not sure. But now we don't know where to begin looking for them. They left the village and no one knows where they're going. Where do we search? Which direction?"

"And if they left this morning, they have a head start. They could be anywhere by now. We've been here an hour and they've been traveling longer than that."

"All the girl said was that they left this morning. That could be from sunup to an hour ago."

"That's a three hour gap right there. At least!"

Shino had a bad feeling. He could send more bugs out to search, but where? He could spread them out over a distance. He had plenty of bugs, but what if they ran into trouble? Using so many bugs to search over such a vast area would leave him in a weakened state. He would still be able to fight but he would be limited. It would be like fighting with half his weapons and a sprained arm.

"Regardless..." Shino looked at the woods surrounding the village and the rolling hills in the distance. He looked at the endless sky above them, knowing Naruto and Shikamaru were somewhere under it. Somewhere out there. "We have to find them."

* * *

Shikamaru may be right about this.

Please review! ^-^


	10. Bad To Worse

**Chapter 10: Bad to Worse**

By late afternoon, Naruto and Shikamaru decided to take a rest by the side of the road. Both were tired and hungry. If only Naruto had though to grab some food while it was just sitting there on the table to stuff into his bag. He drank from his canteen and sat under a tall tree. Shikamaru sat beside him.

"I'm hungry."

"Me, too."

"Did you bring anything to eat in your bag?"

"I ate it."

Shikamaru sighed, annoyed.

"You want to look for food while I rest?"

"You look for food!" growled Shikamaru. "Why do I have to do it? I've been walking just as much as you."

"But I'm really tired. If I go looking, then you have to carry me when we get back on the road. My legs are about to give out."

"Already?"

Come to think of it, Naruto usually could keep walking much longer than this if he was properly motivated. Still, his body was telling him to take a rest.

Unable to wait for him to be ready and unwilling to carry him like a horse, Shikamaru went into the woods to find something to eat. Once he did, there was no way he was sharing it with Naruto. He ate like a pig and hardly offered him anything. It wasn't like Shikamaru could help himself. He had no hands. He couldn't open a bag or reach in and grab something.

He sniffed around, trying to find something good. He couldn't find any nuts or berries. These plants didn't bear any fruit. There were no streams either. He managed to find a spot between the trees that was clear. Nothing but grass. He stepped into the light streaming from between the branches. The grass looked so green here. In fact, was that an acorn he saw on the ground? He walked over and lowered his head. He tested it with his teeth. It was a stone. Just his luck.

Although... he did taste something decent surrounding the stone. Without thinking about it, Shikamaru nibbled on it. He ripped it from the earth and ate it. He was eating grass. It actually wasn't too bad. It was like eating spinach. Since there was nothing else, Shikamaru made do with this.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered why he was doing this. Then another part of his brain reasoned that there was nothing else to eat and he was desperate. He kept eating.

His sensitive ears twitched with every sound that creaked, moaned, chirped and rustled. He ignored the noise, not wanting them to disturb his meal.

He thought he heard hissing, but he assumed it was the leaves blowing in the wind. However, this didn't sound right. The rustling had a certain rhythm to it and this was just out of tune. He paused and listened carefully.

"Take a look at that buck. Six prongs."

"Isn't that something?"

"I call it."

"Fine. Keep quiet or you'll scare it away. Aim carefully."

Aim?

Shikamaru's head jerked up and his ears moved from side to side, flicking, hoping to catch the noise. He had to know which direction it was coming from. Something moved. Something glinted. He quickly turned to his left as something flew past him and sank into the truck behind him with a thump. An arrow.

Danger. He was in danger here. That arrow was meant for him. He was being hunted.

"Wait! Wait! I'm not-" That's right. No one could understand him.

More rustling. They were on the move. Coming closer.

Shikamaru bolted, fearing for his life. "Naruto!" He was moving so fast, faster than ever, come to think of it. Fear allowed him to control these four legs in the face of danger. Or perhaps it was his body in control of him. All he knew was that he had to get away. "Naruto, help me!"

He made it back to the road and Naruto was sitting right where he left him. Naruto didn't stand, even when he saw the look of panic on Shikamaru's face. "What's wrong?"

"Hunters! They're after me!"

"Aren't we being a little dramatic?"

"I'm serious!" He heard rustling and hid behind Naruto. "Help me! Help me!"

"Calm down, will you?"

"They have weapons! They can't understand me! They think I'm a real deer! Do something!"

"Calm down! I'll set them straight. Just relax." Naruto stood up and faced the road. Two men came out with bows and arrows, looking from left to right. "Hey, there."

They turned and spotted Naruto. Behind him was the deer they were hunting. "Boy, either don't move or slowly get out of the way. There's a deer right behind you." One of the men started to load another arrow and Shikamaru flinched.

"Hey, hey, whoa!" Naruto waved his arms and stepped in the arrow's path. "This deer is my friend. You can't hunt him. What the hell?"

"This kid has a pet deer?" They men exchanged looks. "Then again.. this kid looks pretty funny, himself. Just look at him."

Shikamaru coward behind him. "Make them go away, Naruto."

"Chill out, you big baby."

One of the men pointed to him. "You. Is that a sash or are you really sporting a tail? What exactly are you, anyway? Some sort of raccoon or a dog or something?"

"I'm a human, idiot," Naruto said, glaring at the man. "Isn't it obvious?"

"If it were, I wouldn't have asked."

Shikamaru nudged Naruto again. "Please."

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto turned back to the men. "Look, you can't hunt this guy. He's my friend. Ok? He's off limits. So go find something else."

One of the men lowered his bow and used it to lean on as he spoke. "We've been searching and he's the first deer we came across. There aren't a lot of animals around here since we're so close to town."

"There's a town nearby?" Naruto's ears twitched.

"Yeah. A couple miles that way. That's where we're from. We're hunting for fresh meat to sell and trade. Not to mention feed ourselves."

"Well, you can't hunt Shikamaru."

"Then you'd better come up with something else quick, because we're not leaving empty-handed," said the second man. He still had his bow loaded with another arrow.

Thinking fast, Naruto came up with an idea. "If I help you find something else, will you leave us alone and not hunt Shikamaru anymore?"

The two men looked at each other. "Whatcha got in mind?"

Naruto looked into the woods. "Wait here and I'll see what I can find."

Shikamaru stepped in his path. "Don't leave me here with them! They could kill me the second you walk away."

"Then follow me and shut up."

What choice did he have? Shikamaru followed Naruto off the path and into the woods.

There was a natural trail through the trees which they took uphill. The ground was very uneven and dipped low in places or broke away entirely, leaving tree roots exposed and tangled. Naruto easily climbed the roots to the higher level while Shikamaru had to jump and run to keep from falling. Naruto could grab the roots with his hands to pull himself up but Shikamaru only had his hooves. Several times he was left behind and Naruto didn't seem to notice.

Higher and higher they climbed, deeper and deeper into the woods. The slopes were covered by thick strands of bamboo grass and shrubs. The path was getting more narrow now. They couldn't take a step without cattails tickling their legs or fallen sticks scratching them. Shikamaru flinched, spotting something move out of the corner of his eye and Naruto paused to look in that direction. Butterflies scattered from the bushes and tall grass as they passed by. Some came to rest further away, disappearing as their wings closed. The tall, straight trunks of the cedars were covered with ivy vines and pale moss. The leaves were so small and green, but the vines looked strong and tough to break. Naruto gave them a tug, testing their strength and the leaves slapped his hand as if shooing him away. As Shikamaru passed them by, he wrinkled his nose. The vines gave off an unpleasant smell, like a squashed bug.

It was hard going up the steep path with hooves and nothing to grab when he lost his footing. Several times Shikamaru had to stop to catch his breath. Naruto kept going, not bothered at all by the difficult climb. Shikamaru couldn't rest for long with Naruto in the lead. Gradually the trees started to close in and Shikamaru had to be careful not to trip over the roots that stuck up along the path.

Then Naruto suddenly stopped. Shikamaru stopped as well. Naruto's ears flicked, rotating from side to side. He slowly lowered himself to the ground, crouching. Shikamaru wasn't sure what he was doing until he saw some of the tall grass move slightly, separate from the rest. Something was there.

Naruto pounced, leaping high over the grass and straight down. Shikamaru watched where he stood. He couldn't see Naruto's hands, but he knew he was grabbing something. It started to squirm away and Naruto had to move to the side to get it. The grass stopped swaying and Naruto sat perfectly still. Then he stood up and held out his prize: a rabbit. "Ta-da!"

Shikamaru frowned.

"What? If I bring something back for them, then they won't eat you." Naruto walked a short distance and bent down. He started digging a hole with his hands just a few steps away from Shikamaru. The hole wasn't very deep. He dumped the rabbit inside and started to cover it up. Naruto caught Shikamaru staring at him. "What? I'll come back for it later. I'm just leaving it here for now. I'm going to see what else I can find. You can wait here if you want."

Shikamaru looked at the backpack Naruto was wearing and wondered why he didn't put the rabbit in there. Perhaps Naruto didn't want a dead animal in his bag. Maybe he didn't want it to get dirty.

Shikamaru opted to stay where he was and waited for Naruto to return. He could hear Naruto moving quickly through the grass and heard him cursing when he missed his target. Then Naruto came running back. He was chasing something. Shikamaru watched Naruto run in circles around the trees and down the hill and to the side.

"Get back here! Wait up!" Naruto ran after it, refusing to let it get away. He made a sharp turn and ran back up the hill, then zigzagged and started to run to the side. He dove for it and nearly had it. Shikamaru could see the grass move, indicating that it had escaped Naruto's grasp. Naruto gave chase once again, this time on all fours. He ran a short distance and snagged it. "Gotcha!"

Shikamaru watched Naruto and started to get concerned all over again. He had just run on all fours to catch whatever it was he was chasing. Was he starting to change? Maybe he was over-thinking it. It might have taken longer for Naruto to stand up again before continuing the chase. That could have been his reasoning.

Naruto came back, out of breath but looking proud. He had a small cut on his cheek and small scraps on his hands and he was covered in dirt. In his arms were the results of his hard work. Another rabbit and a squirrel. "This should be enough for those two guys. There aren't very many animals around here."

They started back down the hill. It was easier getting down, but since the hill was so steep, they had to go slow in places to keep from falling. When they made it back to the road, the two men were still waiting for them.

"Here you go." Naruto handed them his catch. "Satisfied?"

The men looked over the two rabbits and squirrel. "I suppose it will do. It's no deer, but..."

Naruto put his hands on his hips. "Hey, I managed to catch this much for you. There isn't a whole lot here. You should be grateful. I caught more than you two did."

"What was that?" One of the men started to step forward but his friend held him back. "We saw that deer and it has more meat than all these things you brought back."

"What are you saying?" Naruto wasn't intimidated and stood up to the man.

"Easy, easy." The other man turned to Naruto. "Thanks for the meat. You did a good job catching these."

"The hell he-"

"We'll be going now." The man said this to Naruto but he was looking at his friend when he said it. "We won't go after that deer again."

The other man looked angry but agreed. Clearly he still wanted deer meat.

Naruto kept an eye on them as they walked away. Not only had Naruto made good on his promise but he also gave them meat for free. They didn't have to work for that. He had a feeling that was why they agreed to leave Shikamaru alone.

"Let's get out of here." Shikamaru started down the street, hoping Naruto would follow. Soon, Naruto joined him and they continued on their way.

If there was a town nearby then it could have been the one they were looking for.

They arrived at the town which stood at the bottom of the hill. Naruto was eager to get this over with and started down the path to their goal. Shikamaru hesitated.

"What's wrong this time?"

Shikamaru could hear the laughter of children and the chatter of adults. He could hear a dog barking and the clattering of pans. He wouldn't leave the safety of the trees. "I'm not sure. What if someone tries to eat me again?"

"You are such a baby!" Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Hey, easy for you to say! At least you have a say. You can say anything you want as a matter of fact. I can't. I tried telling those hunters I wasn't a real deer but they couldn't understand me."

"And that was because I wasn't with you at the time. This time, we'll be together and I can tell them that you're not food."

"Don't you get it? I'm a freaking deer. I'm something to be hunted and eaten. I'm nothing but meat and a trophy to them. Don't you understand how I feel?"

"You're being a baby. Now come on. Let's see what we can find out. For all we know, this could be over in just a few minutes and we'll both walk out of here as normal humans."

Shikamaru still had a gut feeling that something bad was going to happen if they entered the town but his desire to return to normal was too great and he entered the town with Naruto without further complaints.

The town was busy and loud. The streets were packed with customers buying from venders and unloading fresh food and goods. He stayed close to Naruto every step of the way. They could hardly walk without someone bumping into them or coming very close. A lot of people were too busy with their own business but others stopped and stared at the deer wandering the streets with the blond-headed boy. Shikamaru tried to keep his head down and avoid their eyes.

"What do you think?" Naruto was saying. "We could get something to eat here. I have money on me in my bag. What do you feel like having?"

Shikamaru wasn't in the mood to eat at the moment. He just wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible. He quickened his pace, bumping into Naruto from behind.

"I'm going to get something here. It smells really good." Naruto started to walk away and Shikamaru quickly turned to follow him. They couldn't afford to get separated. Naruto stood in front of a vender behind a woman in a hat and looked at the food cooking inside. Steam and smoke shrouded the cooks working under the cloth roof. The food did smell delicious but Shikamaru still didn't feel like eating.

The woman stepped away and Naruto stepped forward to place his order. "Oh, wow, this all looks good. How much for..?"

"What the hell is that?"

Naruto looked up. "Huh? What's what?"

"Is that a deer behind you?"

Naruto turned. "Uh... yeah. He's my friend. Don't tell me you want to eat him, too."

"It would make good barbeque."

Shikamaru shivered.

"You can't eat him. You want me to buy something here or not? I can take my money elsewhere if you insist on eating my friend."

"Alright, alright. He's your pet. Ok, what do you want?"

Shikamaru hated this. Either he was food or a pet. Was everyone going to stare at him like this? He wanted to be human now. "Naruto, we can eat later. Let's just go and find out how we can change back."

"I'm starving. This will only take a second."

Shikamaru was getting impatient. "I want to change back now! I can't take much more of this!"

"Chill out. You're making a big deal out of this. I promise we'll change back. Just relax."

"How can you be so calm about all this?" Shikamaru spat. "I know why. Because you have a say! You can talk and I can't! You have hands and I don't! You can pick things up and I can't! No one tries to eat you, but me..!"

"I said we'll change you back so stop complaining!" Naruto snapped back.

Shikamaru wanted to argue further but there was no point. It seemed, however, that Naruto still wanted to fight.

"If you're going to complain, then get lost." He took his food from the vender and started eating. "And you can forget about me sharing with you if you're going to be like that."

"Naruto..."

"I said get lost! Get out of here." Naruto shoved him away with his free hand. "You're such a pain in the ass."

Was Naruto really doing this? He was acting like a little brat. Maybe Shikamaru was being annoying by complaining all the time but he had good reason to. Why couldn't Naruto see how hard this was for him? If only he could make him understand.

Shikamaru started to walk after him. The least he could do was say something to get Naruto in a better mood. He didn't want to leave it like this. As he got closer, something wrapped around his antler and yanked his head to the right. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw some men with ropes coming closer. "No!" Shikamaru went straight into panic mode. "No! Stay away!"

"Let's get this stray animal out of here. It's going to bother the venders and eat the customers' food."

Was that what they thought? That he was following Naruto around for his food? Then again, Naruto had just told Shikamaru to go away so it was no wonder they thought such a thing.

He tugged back. "Leave me alone! It's not like that!" He was afraid of what they were going to do to him. Would they simply release him or were they going to kill him? There were plenty of venders around with grills and lots of cooks. Were they going to tie him up and sell him for meat? Those options seems most likely. He had to get away. "Stop it! Leave me alone! Stop!"

He bucked his head and stomped his hooves on the ground. They brought more ropes and were pulling him away. One rope was fastened around his neck and another around his front leg. He bellowed loudly and bucked and kicked. He feared for his life.

"Stop it! I'm not a deer! I'm not! I'm a human! Please, stop it! Let me go!" It was no use. They couldn't understand him. "Naruto! Naruto, help me!" He could only pray Naruto wasn't too far away to hear him or that he thought he was being dramatic. "Please, help me! Naruto! Please! Naruto, help me!"

The men were hauling him away. He pulled away, his hooves sliding on the ground as he was dragged. It was all over if he lost his footing.

"Help! Naruto, help me! Naruto! Naruto!"

A man grabbed his antlers and tried to force him to the ground. More came to help. Shikamaru was being pressed into the ground. If his feet came out from under it, that was it. There was no way he would get back up.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

He knew that voice. Naruto came after all.

"Stay back. This thing can gore you with its horns. We'll handle this."

"The hell you will! Get away from my friend!"

"Your friend?"

"Yeah! That's Shikamaru! He's my friend! Let him go!"

Some of the men started to climb down and step away. Now Shikamaru could see where they were taking him. They were pulling him toward the back of a truck. He could only imagine what else was to await him if they got him inside. Who knew what would happen to him then?

"So this thing is your pet?"

"He's my friend so let him go right now!" Naruto was in sight. He took out his kunai and started slicing the ropes, unable to wait for them to untie him any longer. "You ok, Shikamaru? Sorry about this."

"Easy, kid." One of the men put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "We were just-"

Naruto threw a punch at him. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why were you doing that to Shikamaru?"

"You crazy, kid?" the man yelled. "Don't go around punching people like that! I thought it was just some dumb animal that wandered in here. We've never seen a deer walking around like that before so we just thought-"

"You thought you could just tie him up and throw him in the back of your truck?" Naruto cut the last of the ropes and freed Shikamaru. "Come on, Shikamaru. Let's get out of here."

The men stayed where they were, watching them. The man Naruto nearly punched followed after them. "Listen, kid, we were-"

"Leave us alone and don't ever come near me or my friends again, you got that?" Naruto growled.

"Would you let me explain, you dumb little brat? Didn't your parents ever teach you any manners?" He put his hand on Naruto's shoulder and tried to keep him from taking another step. "I said we didn't know it was your pet and he had good meat on him so we just thought-"

Naruto spun around and snarled at him, showing his teeth which had become longer and sharper. "Raughrr!" His ears rotated sideways and his tail was aloft. The man jumped back, startled. He backed away and said nothing further. Naruto slowly turned away and gave Shikamaru a gentle push.

They left the village, no longer willing to search. They didn't want to spend another minute in that town. Once they had made it back to the main road, Naruto turned to Shikamaru.

"Sorry I left you alone like that. You were right. I didn't think things would happen like that. You're not hurt, are you?"

Shikamaru looked away.

"What? I just told you that you were right. I shouldn't have left you like that. We need to stick together."

"I told you it would be like that. I knew I shouldn't have entered that town. I had a gut feeling." Shikamaru hung his head. "I hate this."

"I know. I didn't think-"

"I hate this!" Shikamaru cried. "I can't do anything! I can't grab things, I can't talk, I can't do anything! I couldn't even defend myself when they attacked me! I can't use hand signs and that means I can't use jutsu! What the hell kind of ninja am I?! I'm not a ninja at all! I can't fight! I can't talk to people and tell them what's going on! My own mother chased me out of the house because I look like this! People want to hunt me and kill me and eat me! They want to put my head on their wall!"

He had never known fear like this before. He was in constant danger of being eaten by his former kind. Humans wanted to kill him and eat him and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. He had to rely on Naruto for everything. He was the only one who could understand him. He was the only one who could explain. The only one who could help him. If they were separated for even an instant, something like that was bound to happen again.

"I... I... I don't want to be a deer!" Shikamaru wailed. He felt so scared and useless. He felt helpless and trapped. He was in constant danger and had no idea what he was doing. How could he survive without Naruto's help? What would happen to him if something happened to Naruto? He was afraid of everything. Anything that moved, even human beings. This was no way to live.

He so desperately wanted to be human again.

Naruto put his arm around Shikamaru's neck, giving him a gentle hug. "I get it. I know. We'll change you back. I promise."

Shikamaru calmed at his words and felt his sincerity in the hug he gave him.

"I won't leave you again. I promise."

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	11. Changes

**Chapter 11: Changes**

Far off, the landscape darkened under lowering clouds. It would rain soon.

Naruto and Shikamaru decided to leave the town behind them and wander to the next one. Neither wanted to go back. Now that he thought about it, Shikamaru wasn't so sure that was the right decision. Weren't they supposed to go to that village to find out some information about the wife of the Susumu clan? Instead, he followed his gut and left the village and never looked back. This felt right.

A few drops of rain trickled down from above. Shikamaru felt safe under the umbrella of leaves overhead. It started to rain harder, darkening the dirt road. It was a lovely smell and it put him at least. Even the rain running down his back was soothing. Raindrops splashed down Naruto's neck and he shivered, pulling his collar up. The grass swayed as the rain pattered against the slender blades.

They trudged along the wet dirt road under the canopy of trees. "We should find some shelter," Naruto was saying. There was nowhere to go. The town was six hours behind them and it was getting later and later. It would be nightfall in a matter of minutes. Spotting something off the road, Naruto left the trail and went behind the trees. "I think it's a cave we can rest in."

By the time Shikamaru caught up, they both realized it was not a cave but a small impression in the side of a hill, covered by the roots of a tree still reaching for land which had fallen away. "It's good enough," Shikamaru told him. "It's like being under a cliff. It'll give us some cover, at least."

They huddled together against the hill under the tree roots. Large raindrops came from the roots over their heads. The constant trickling and rustling calmed Shikamaru and he no longer felt anxious. A gust of wind came from the woods and struck him from the side, ruffling his hair. He started to lower his head and felt a push back.

"Your antlers are hitting me in the head," Naruto said.

"Sorry." He didn't have good control over where they went.

There was nothing but the drumming of rain and the murmur of leaves. They were too tired to speak and far too tired to walk another step. They just wanted to rest.

"Shikamaru?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I use you as a pillow?"

"Sure."

Naruto crawled in front of Shikamaru and sat down, leaning back into his stomach. "You're warm."

"So are you." Naruto's tail was so soft and warm, like a fluffy pillow. He liked it. Then Naruto moved his tail and wrapped it around himself, curling up.

Shikamaru's head started to bob. He started to lower his head to the ground and his muzzle landed on Naruto's lap. He didn't bother moving it. Naruto made a better pillow than the ground.

"Shikamaru?"

"Hm?"

"I hope Sakura and the others are doing alright."

"I'm sure they're fine."

"I don't mean that. I mean I hope they're not too worried about us. We did run off without telling them. I don't want Sakura to be pissed."

"Having second thoughts about leaving without a word?"

"No." Naruto closed his eyes. "We made much better time using that shortcut. We beat them to the village and everything."

"Figured we'd make better time going alone, huh?"

"No," said Naruto softly. "I'm not alone. I have you with me."

Shikamaru smiled. "Thanks for... Never mind." Thanks for sticking by me, he wanted to say.

* * *

The ground was still wet come morning and everything still smelled damp. It was warm. Shikamaru opened his eyes and looked around. The sunlight was hidden behind the tree trunks. Naruto was still asleep on his body, curled into a ball. Shikamaru couldn't wait around for him and started to get up. Naruto slowly slid off his body and onto the ground. He didn't stir.

Hungry, Shikamaru started searching for something to eat. A little stream ran dark and twisting beside the bank near the hill. He bent down for a drink. Nice and cool. He lifted his head and looked around slowly, taking everything in. Primrose blossoms gaped lazily in the morning light, barely visible. The air was filled with the smell of pine and dew. The wood lay quietly, wrapped in sleep. Such a lazy morning made Shikamaru want to go back to sleep.

He walked a short distance and lowered his head over a patch of particularly green grass. He started eating. It really wasn't too bad. Before he knew it, he was grazing. A breeze rustled the grass and he raised his head to welcome it. It felt so good on his face and neck.

"What a peaceful morning." He lowered his head and started grazing again.

This wasn't so bad. Normally, he would wake up to the sound of his mother pounding on the other side of his door and barking orders for him to get up. He would hear his parents argue about something before he left the house and then Shikamaru would get whatever was left over. Most of the time his father would sit there quietly and having it go in one ear and out the other. Sometimes he would argue back.

Even while he ate, Shikamaru would have to hear his mother's constant nagging. It was such a pain. The first thing when he got up in the morning and the last thing he would hear at night. Even coming home from a long and difficult mission. She would bark orders at him. Clean this up, move that there, take those here, do as you're told, don't roll your eyes, finish your dinner. It was endless and so very annoying.

Waking up in nature with birds chirping and the fresh fragrance of blooming flowers and rain was a welcomed change. It was so peaceful. So beautiful. It was a much gentler way to wake him up. Much better than his mother's yelling or his alarm clock. He could eat as he pleased and didn't have to worry about manners or have someone yelling at him.

"Mm. This grass is so juicy. The rain really helped." It tasted pretty good.

Shikamaru ate his breakfast, perfectly content. This was a great way to start his day. As the sun rose, the land grew brighter and his mood brightened with it. The sky was a deep blue with hardly any clouds. Those that hovered were white and fluffy, like cotton balls. The air was sweet. The leaves sparkled in the sun. The birds twittered and sang as if joyously commenting on the weather.

"Shikamaru?"

He looked up. Naruto was stumbling towards him, rubbing his eyes. He still looked half asleep. His furry tail matched his bedhead.

"You wandered off without telling me. What are you doing all the way over here?"

"Uh... I was looking for something to eat."

"Oh." Naruto yawned. "Are we going to keep going to the next town or somewhere?"

"Sure, if you want." Shikamaru trotted over and he and Naruto walked side by side back to the road. Naruto still wasn't fully awake and kept stumbling.

"Can I ride on your back?" he asked.

"I..." Shikamaru sighed. "Alright. Fine." He stopped and allowed Naruto to climb aboard. Naruto sat on his back and rode him like a horse. Shikamaru started walking again.

"You're not a comfy to ride as I thought you'd be." Naruto flattened himself against Shikamaru's back and tried to go back to sleep.

Shikamaru carried him for the next hour. Then his ears started twitching. Something was buzzing around his head. He flicked his ear, trying to shoo it away. It moved onto Naruto and buzzed around his head. He waved it away, moaning sleepily. It was relentless and kept flying around his head. He swatted at it. The bug landed on his cheek and Naruto squished it with his hand, slapping himself in the face at the same time.

"Ow!" He was wide awake now. He wiped his hand off on his pants and looked over Shikamaru's antlers. "Where are we now?"

"I have no idea. Still on the road."

Naruto hopped down and started walking on his own. "I'm starving. I hope we're near a town or something."

He went hungry for the next hour and now he was complaining loudly about his growling stomach and hunger pains. Finally, unable to take it anymore, he went searching for some food.

"Back in a minute."

Twenty minutes later, Naruto returned with some mice and a handful of wood. Shikamaru watched him try to build a fire to cook his catch. It took him a while to do with everything still damp from the rain. Once the fire was going, Naruto started to roast the mice. The fire started to die down and he was too hungry to stoke it. He wanted to eat and heating up the fire again would take too long. He let the fire go out and started to eat the mice. Shikamaru grimaced as he ate. Some of the mice still had blood in them and red started to ooze down Naruto's chin.

"That was a good snack." Naruto licked his hands clean and kicked the no longer smoking wood into a puddle. "Let's get going again. Maybe we can find something else to eat."

It was a shame there were no fruit-bearing trees around. Shikamaru could really go for a nice crisp apple.

Naruto's nose twitched. His ears flicked. "Is that a stream?" He wandered off the path and into the woods. Shikamaru followed after him. Sure enough there was a stream running through the woods, twisting around trees and disappearing in the tall grass. "I bet I can catch us some fish."

Naruto, without taking off his backpack, went over to the water and looked down. So far, nothing. Then a small fish floated into sight. It would hardly make a meal for anyone, but if there was one fish there must have been more swimming around. Naruto wasn't going to let this one slip away, no matter how small. He straddled the rocks and leaned forward. As fast as he could, he slapped at the water with his hand, trying to scoop the fish out. He missed and it swam away.

"Wouldn't it be easier with a fishing rod?" asked Shikamaru.

"Don't have one."

Naruto stepped to the next rock and crouched over the water. He perched on the rock in the middle of the stream and waited for another one to come into view. Shikamaru stood beside the water, watching him. Soon, he grew bored and started to graze again. He no longer had to think about it. It came naturally to him.

Finally there was another fish. Naruto balanced himself on the rock and leaned in. He felt his backpack sliding up his back and onto his neck. It was making him a little too top-heavy. He grabbed onto another rock with his left hand, balancing himself. There was the fish. This one was bigger. Balancing on his toes and his left hand, he reached down quickly.

Something was wrong. Something didn't feel right. His foot slipped and he fell into the water.

Shikamaru heard the splash and looked up. Naruto was gone. He must have fallen in. No problem. Naruto could just stand up. The stream wasn't too deep.

When Naruto didn't surface, Shikamaru grew concerned. "Naruto?" He approached the stream. "Naruto?"

He wasn't there. Shikamaru looked across the stream to the other bank. He wasn't there either so he hadn't climbed out. He looked further down the stream and saw Naruto being carried away by the current.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru ran alongside the stream. Was Naruto just swimming? He wasn't moving. Something wasn't right. When Shikamaru came closer, he saw Naruto floating face-down in the water. "Naruto!"

What was he going to do? He didn't know if he could swim in this deer form. If he went into the water, would he be carried away, too? He couldn't just leave Naruto like this to drown. How was he going to get him out? He didn't have any hands to grab him with and he couldn't carry him.

He was getting further away. Shikamaru had to act quickly. Going on an impulse, Shikamaru jumped into the water. The cool water went up to his stomach, his four legs submerged. He reached forward with his head and grabbed Naruto with his teeth. He dragged Naruto to the shore and flipped him over. "Naruto!"

Naruto's lower lip was turning blue. He wasn't breathing.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru kept calling him. What was he supposed to do? Was Naruto done for? He got him out of the water, but now what?

His logical brain started working again and gave him an idea: CPR. How in the world was he supposed to perform CPR without any hands? Even their faces were shaped differently now. He wouldn't be able to breathe air into Naruto's lungs like this. He wouldn't be able to pinch his nose shut either. He could stomp on his chest and hope the compressions forced the water out of his lungs. Just how strong were his legs? Would he hurt him? Would he make things worse? Would his hooves break his ribs?

All he could do was bend over Naruto and call his name over and over again while he debated. He was running out of time. "Naruto! Naruto!" Using one hoof, he pressed down on Naruto's stomach. "Naruto! Come on, Naruto!" He pressed down again. "Please, Naruto!" Again. "Naruto, you can't leave me like this. You weren't going to leave me, remember? Wake up! Please, Naruto! Naruto! Get up, Naruto! Naruto!"

He pressed again and again. He pressed harder each time but nothing was happening.

"Naruto!"

He spat water in his face. Naruto's eyes snapped open and he started coughing. Shikamaru removed his hoof and Naruto rolled onto his side, hacking and spitting up water.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru had never been so relieved. He was alive.

After he stopped coughing, Naruto looked around, water dripping from his blond hair. "What happened?"

"You nearly drowned."

Naruto looked back at the stream. "I... Did you save me?"

"Yeah. I dragged you out. Are you ok? I was so worried."

"Yeah. Thanks for that."

Shikamaru calmed down, knowing Naruto was going to be alright.

"I slipped." Naruto looked back. "I lost my balance. Something didn't feel right when I was standing on that rock."

"Was it slippery?"

"No, that wasn't it. I felt something strange." Naruto started to stand up and quickly lost his balance again.

"What's wrong?"

Naruto sat in the grass, confused. "I don't know."

"You're still shaky from nearly drowning."

"Maybe that's it." Naruto tried to stand again. Something still didn't feel right. His toes kept touching the dirt and something was pinching his feet. He sat in the grass. "I think it's my shoes."

Naruto lifted his foot to take a look. His eyes widened in surprise.

His feet had grown. They were too big for his shoes now. His toes were sticking out over the sole and his nails had become clawed.

"Fox feet," Shikamaru murmured. "You have paws."

Naruto tried to stand again. He couldn't walk two steps without stumbling. His toes touched the grass with every step. This was very uncomfortable. The edge of his shoe's opening kept pressing into the arch of his foot. When they finally made it back to the road, Naruto couldn't stand it any longer and sat down in the dirt.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm taking these damn things off. They hurt like hell." Naruto had to really pull to get them off. He was basically wearing shoes three sizes too small for his feet. He yanked them off his feet and groaned with relief. "Ah..! That's much better." He set his shoes aside under a tree. "I'll just walk like this."

"Barefoot?"

"I can't wear those anymore. They're way too small for my feet now." Naruto tried standing. It felt strange, too. Standing with his feet flat on the ground felt very strange. He tried walking and that just felt even stranger.

Shikamaru watched him walk and knew Naruto was still feeling uncomfortable. He looked like he was trying to walk in flippers.

Frustrated, Naruto growled and threw his hands into the air. "How the hell am I supposed to walk like this?"

"Try walking on your toes," Shikamaru suggested.

Naruto gave it a try. He raised himself up on his toes. Now he was a couple inches taller. He tried walking. "Oh, yeah, this is much better." He barely noticed the tiny stones in the dirt road as he walked. The soft dirt, still moist from the rain, felt good on his bare feet.

"You good?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, this works."

Naruto had gone a couple of days without any new transformations so he was about due for another. Shikamaru was surprised it took him this long.

* * *

This is going get worse before it gets better, isn't it?

Please review! ^-^


	12. Decided

**Chapter 12: Decided **

It was impossible for them to know when they would reach the next village. Honestly, Shikamaru didn't mind the wait. The longer he could be away from humans trying to eat him, the better.

Naruto had adjusted to his new limbs quickly and was frolicking in the grass, chasing butterflies. Shikamaru had grown used to his deer body as well. He didn't realize it at the time, but when he had rescued Naruto, his body didn't falter once. He ran swiftly and even managed to wade through the water with little issue. His legs were strong and powerful. He could finally control them.

"Shikamaru!"

"Oof!"

Naruto went sliding right into him from the side and the two of them fell over.

"Sorry," Naruto laughed. "I took a shortcut down that steep hill and couldn't stop. Fun, though."

"It's fine." There was no urgency in their travels. They could play or be as lazy as they wanted. Shikamaru knew they had to get to the next village, but he could no longer remember the reason why. That was bugging him. They had to get to the next village. But why? Why were they going to the next village? Was it food? That must have been it. Naruto was hungry and wanted to eat something.

"Shikamaru! Shikamaru!" Naruto called to him from a tree. He was climbing trees again. "Look! Look!" He pointed at something.

The path went to the left and deeper into the woods, but Naruto was pointing to the right. It was a meadow. It was safely nestled at the bottom of the hill and protected by a crescent of trees. It was beautiful. Shikamaru's brown eyes sparkled, taking it all in. No painting in the world could match this oasis.

"Yahoo!" Naruto swung from the branch, ran to the edge of the steep hill and jumped.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru ran to the edge and looked down. Naruto was sliding down the dirt slope on his backside, stirring up a dust cloud. He howled and went straight into the grassy field. He popped out and started running across the field.

Shikamaru's hoof sent a stone rolling downhill. It was very steep. Naruto managed to survive. He was getting further away by the second. Wanting to catch up, Shikamaru tried walking down the slope. The dirt slid under his hooves and he started to slide, picking up speed. He leaned back, trying to keep his balance. The wind rushed in his ears and blow his hair back. It felt good. The ground was coming up fast and he jumped, clearing the bottom of the slope in one leap. He landed on all fours in the grass and trotted, keeping with the momentum.

"Over here, Shikamaru! Watch this!" Naruto was jumping in the field, showing off how high he could go.

Shikamaru ran through the grass to catch up. The tall grass and leaves tickled him as he passed. The colorful flowers seemed to sigh, exhaling a sweet mist toward the blue heavens. The aroma was intoxicating. The air was so sweet and clear. It was so easy to breathe. This field was flatter than most of the woods, making it easy to run.

He sped up. He could never run this fast before. Never so swiftly. So easily. It made him want to run more. Faster and faster. He tested his legs to see just how fast he could go. His hooves barely made a sound over the rustling of the plants tickling his body as he bolted. The flowers became a colorful blur. He wanted to go faster.

Naruto was ahead of him, jumping in the grass. He bounced as if he had springs on his feet. Shikamaru followed his example and jumped. He cleared the grass, flying over the field and came back down several feet away. What an amazing feeling. He picked up speed and tried it again. He soared a few yards this time before coming back down. He felt like he was flying.

Now Shikamaru was ahead of him. Naruto tried to catch up. It was hard for him to run upright like this. Walking with his new feet he could do, but running was something else. He kept losing his balance and stumbled. He ran with his arms pumping out on either side of his body for balance. Shikamaru was getting away.

He felt a strange energy surge through his arms and a odd throbbing in his spine. He gave into the impulse and dropped to all fours and ran. He was running on all fours. This was much better. He was much faster like this and his balance was restored. He ran alongside Shikamaru, full of energy. He darted around him and in front of him. He jumped, clearing Shikamaru's back and landed on his other side. He pumped his arms and legs faster, kicking up grass and dirt. Shikamaru jumped and Naruto followed. He added flips to his jump and landed on his feet. He flipped and rolled, landing on his shoulder instead. He rolled onto his feet and kept going.

"Wow!" Naruto barked loudly. He felt so strong and free.

"Yeah!" Shikamaru called to the sky as he jumped, sailing over the grass. He was so fast and powerful. He was free.

They reached the end of the field and collapsed, breathing hard. Naruto sprawled out on his back, panting heavily. Shikamaru lay on his side, inhaling the scent of grass and he tried to catch his breath.

That was amazing. He couldn't remember a time he felt so good. So much energy and power. So much speed and all the freedom in the world.

He looked at the blue sky and watched the clouds. The world never seemed to vast and beautiful. It was so big. He had all the freedom in the world to explore it.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking."

"Yeah?"

"Let's stay like this."

Naruto turned his head. "Say what?"

"I think I want to stay like this. I want to live as a deer."

Naruto sat up. "Are you serious?"

Shikamaru lifted his head. "Yes, I am."

"But the other day you were practically in tears and said how much you didn't want to be a deer."

"I was not in tears."

"Close enough."

Shikamaru sat up. "But I've been thinking about it and I think I would rather be a deer."

"Why?"

"I've never really looked around me before. Now that I do and now that I'm thinking about it... I think I would be better off as a deer. I mean, look around us. Isn't this place gorgeous?"

Naruto turned his head. All the flowers, the trees, the blue sky and fluffy white clouds. All the sweet smells and the softness. Everything was fantastic.

"We could see this stuff everyday. I think I would rather wake up to birds chirping and sunshine than my mom's yelling and my alarm clock ringing. I could also wake up whenever I want. No schedules."

"Yeah, but..."

"My old life... I would have to put up with my mom's nagging. I would have to do chores and I'm constantly being asked to do things I don't want to do. I don't care. My mom, the Hokage, Ino... I'm surrounded by people always telling me what to do when I couldn't care less. They're so loud, too. I could never just do my own thing. I even gave up during the exams and they promoted me anyway. I quit because I didn't want to have to do more work and once again people decide things for me against my will. And all those missions. I'm constantly putting my own life at risk for some strangers. Where's the sense in that?"

"Hey, we get paid at least. And it gives us something to do. They're fun."

"I want to sit around and do nothing. If I stay as a deer, I can do that. No more missions. They're dangerous. Who needs them? And as far as money's concerned, what do I use it on? Food and supplies. If I'm no longer a ninja, I don't need to buy supplies. And if I'm hungry, I can just grab something out here. It seems so stupid to have to pay for stuff you can just find right out here next to you. And let's face it, what kind of ninja can I be like this?"

"That's why we're trying to change back. Remember?"

"Maybe I changed my mind. Maybe I don't want to change back. I don't want to have to do work. I want to do my own thing. Do whatever I want whenever I want. I want to be free and not have someone barking orders at me all the time. Here, like this, if I want to look at the clouds, I can. If I want to take a nap, I can. No one can tell me otherwise."

"But what about our friends? Your family?"

"My own mom chase me out of the house because I looked like this."

"But she-"

"I know, Naruto. But if I change back, what do I have to look forward to? Mom nagging me all the time? My parents arguing? Having a list of chores to do? Then I have the Hokage giving me more things to do that I don't want to. I have a teammate who has to have things her way all the time and never listens to anyone. I could always visit Choji or he can visit me. But I'd rather not have to do anything anymore. No more missions or chores or troublesome people yelling at me."

Naruto looked down. When Shikamaru put it that way, it did kind of make sense.

"Let's face it, Naruto... What do you have to go home to?"

His head jerked up. "Huh?"

"You have no family. No one is waiting for you at home. You get fixed up and then what? You come home to an empty house. No one is there to greet you. You live alone. Out here, at least you can be with me. We can do whatever we want. We can always find animals to be friend with. And all the higher-ups back at the village want to keep you under lock and key because of the fox you carry inside you. You want to put up with that crap all your life? People telling you what you can and can't do because of something you never had a say in? Out here you can run free and not have to listen to anyone tell you where you can and can't go."

He had a good point. Because of the Nine-tailed Fox, some people didn't want him to ever leave the village. There were people who still hated him. Out here... he never felt like this before. He couldn't describe the feeling. Was this freedom? Was that what he was feeling?

"You're right," Naruto admitted. "It was my home, but... I can always make a home out here. I live alone. Out here, I have you with me and I feel so close to others. Maybe I was a prisoner in my own home. And my dream to be Hokage..." He scoffed. "What are the odds of that happening? And even if I did get it, then what? I would have a ton of paperwork to do all the time. I would always have people telling me what to do. I wouldn't be free. I..."

He couldn't believe what he was about to say.

"I don't think I want to be Hokage anymore."

It seemed like too much work and no freedom. No fun. Was it possible that he just wanted the title and none of the responsibility?

The only other reason he would have to return to the village would be for Sakura. He had a crush on her for years yet she had never shown any interest. Even with Sasuke gone, she still refused to give Naruto even a pity date. When he really looked at it, he realized that he never had a shot with her. It would never happen.

He didn't really need her anyway. Or any of his other friends. They were off on missions a lot anyway. Some went on very dangerous ones and might not come back. Why get attached? It seemed silly now. All his friends were really weird anyway. Shino was a bizarre bug nerd who lived in the shadows and remained hidden. Hinata never said two words to him without stuttering. Kiba was a human dog. Neji seemed like a know-it-all with too much pride and was very quick to find fault. Tenten was obsessed with weapons and pointing out faults and had to complain about how strange her sensei and Lee were. Lee was obsessed with training and had a strange way of talking; even his habits and hobbies were weird. Ino was a bossy little brat who never shut up and was way too loud. Choji ate everything in sight and was super sensitive about being called fat. Sai was just plain strange all together. Now that he really looked at them, he realized just how bizarre they all were. Every last one of them was so strange.

Maybe he was better off. Compared to them, Shikamaru wasn't too bad. Then again, they were only human. Humans were very strange. He was better off without them.

"You might be right, Shikamaru. We're getting by fine like this. Why go back to a life like that? It makes no sense."

"Yeah."

"Constantly being told what to do, responsibility, dangerous missions, yelling, nagging people... You're right. I'd rather be free. At my house, it feels so empty and lonely. Out here, it's bright and full."

"Exactly."

Naruto nodded his head. "Screw that life. I want this one."

"So do I."

* * *

The leaves crunched under their feet. The sun was high in the sky and very bright. In no time at all, it had dried all the wet leaves from the rain and the ground was no longer like clay but rather dust. They stopped for a bit to fill up their canteens and started back on the road. They were moving slowly to make sure they didn't overlook anything.

"Have you heard back from your bugs yet?" asked Ino.

Shino shook his head. "Not all of them came back."

"Why not? They lost?"

"No. Some could still be searching. Some could have been crushed or eaten. It happens."

"Maybe you should send out more."

"Then I would be vulnerable. What if we get attacked? My bugs are my weapon. If I send out anymore to go searching the way you suggest, I'll be open to an attack and defenseless."

"I didn't say all of them. Just a few more."

"Not worth the risk."

Ino took a drink from her canteen. "You think they went this way? We don't even know where to begin."

"It's the most likely place. They didn't go back they way they came because they would have run into us," said Sakura. "There were two paths and we chose this one. Let's hope for the best."

"But why would they go this way?"

"Why do they do anything?" Sakura hung her head. "I'm really worried about them. The way Naruto was acting... Do you think we should stray from the path and start looking in the woods just in case?"

"I have my bugs searching the woods. We stay on the path." Shino stopped walking, spotting something.

Sakura saw it, too. She went ahead to check it out. There was something black underneath a tree, sitting between the roots. It was a pair of black shoes. She knew who they belonged to. "It's Naruto's shoes!"

Ino came to stand beside her. "What are they doing here? Did something happen to him? Maybe he's hurt."

Shino shook his head, studying them. "No. They were placed here just so. I don't think he lost them. I think he took them off and placed them here."

"But why?" Ino's eyes widened. "He might be at the stream. We should go look."

"We just came from there."

"Maybe we just missed them. Why else would he take them off? He has to be somewhere near here. He wouldn't go far without his shoes."

Shino frowned. "Unless he has no need for them now."

"What do you mean?"

He didn't want to say it. "It's just a thought. You saw Shikamaru's transformation. He no longer has need for his shoes. He has hooves now and they would no longer fit. Naruto was still mostly human when he left us. That was a while ago. More than a day. What if his body is starting to change like Shikamaru's? We already saw parts of it. His ears and hands. His tail. What if he's more fox-like now and doesn't need them anymore?"

Sakura grew very worried. "You're saying he could be an animal now like Shikamaru?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him. One thing is for sure. I really think we need to be cautious when we find them. We don't know what to expect."

* * *

Please review!


	13. Finding Food

**Chapter 13: Finding Food **

Now that it was late afternoon, Naruto was feeling very hungry. Shikamaru had snacked on grass so he was pretty well off. After the field, there were a few trees but the woods had ended. Still no fruit-bearing trees.

Then they came to a garden with vegetables standing in neat rows behind a small wooden fence. The fence didn't seemed to be meant for keeping things out but rather for decoration. Naruto could easily climb through and Shikamaru jumped over it with ease. He didn't even have to take a running start. Tall sunflowers stood along the wooden fence, making the garden look cheerful and welcoming. Just two steps in were their prize: a massive maze of corn.

"Oh, sweet!" Naruto couldn't wait.

Shikamaru followed him cautiously. Once he was hidden behind the tall rows of corn, he felt safe and relaxed.

Naruto walked up and down the rows of corn. It was a mystery. He couldn't tell which ones were ready to harvest and which ones were not. He stared at each plant for several seconds, examining. Then he started grabbing. "That itches..!" He spread the stalks, bending them back like bamboo and tried to reach ones further back. His tail swished from side to side. "Got one!" He pulled himself out, clutching an ear of corn in his hand. His ears perked and he gave it a sniff.

"Is it good?"

Naruto started to peel back the green leaves as if it were a banana. It was a pain to shuck corn. By the time he was done, he had a small pile of green at his feet. He lifted the corn to his face and took a bite. Tiny pieces of corn clung to his cheeks as he pulled away. "It would be a lot better boiled."

He handed Shikamaru his ear of corn and went back to get more. Shikamaru didn't mind eating off the same one Naruto just had his teeth on. At least he didn't have to shuck it himself. Naruto came back with three more, sat down and started peeling back the green and the little yellow hairs.

They moved on to other plants next. Cucumber, eggplants, soybeans, kidney beans, tomatoes. There was so much to eat. Normally Naruto didn't eat anything green, but hunger had changed his mind and became less picky. The eggplants pricked his fingers when he tried to pull them off. No matter how much he tugged, he could not pick the kidney beans. He gave up and wandered to something else. The tomatoes were easy. He ate through half of one before moving on to another plant. Shikamaru helped himself to the tomatoes, finding them easy to get to. When he smelled fresh dirt, he looked up to find Naruto digging in the next row. Naruto dug up some potatoes and started eating them. He went to another row and dug up some carrots. They were so crunchy. Shikamaru ate whatever Naruto left. Part of him thought that Naruto was digging them up for him. This way he had a variety.

"Maybe we should take some of these on the road with us. What do you think?"

"Wouldn't they be hard to carry?"

"I'll put them in my bag."

Shikamaru bent over a carrot and crunched down on it. It tasted good. For now, they should eat their fill and come back later when they were hungry again. No sense in rushing off so quickly.

He paused, sensing something. His ears rotated. He lifted his head and spotted something that made him freeze.

A dog was watching them from the next row of the garden.

"Naruto..."

"Hm?" He stopped eating and came over. "It's just a dog."

Shikamaru didn't like it. Those teeth scared him. Did dogs eat deer? He wanted to run away. "Naruto..."

The dog came closer and Shikamaru flinched.

"I'll handle this." Naruto stepped forward. "Shoo, shoo."

The dog pinned its ears back and growled.

Shikamaru hid behind Naruto, still wanting to run while trying to convince himself to stay.

"I said, shoo!"

The dog growled at Naruto.

"Go on." Naruto pointed behind the dog. "Go. Shoo."

The dog growled again and came closer. It barked loudly at him, telling Naruto to leave at once.

Just then, Naruto bent down on all fours, arched his back, pinned his ears and snarled, showing his fangs. "Grr..! Rah, rah!" He hissed loudly and made a bizarre guttural sound.

Shikamaru couldn't see his face, but whatever face he was making was enough to frighten the dog off. Yelping, it turned tail and ran back the way it came.

Naruto stood up with a satisfied grin. "Ha! Showed him." Naruto went back to eating.

A minute later, a voice came from the rows of corn. "Who's out there? Who's in my field?"

Shikamaru froze and stood alert. "Naruto..."

The farmer came into view carrying a hoe. "A deer, eh? I thought I got rid of you all. Scat! Scat!"

Shikamaru remained forzen.

Naruto stood up. "What now?"

The farmer looked at Naruto and took a step back. "What the hell are you? Some sort of deformed kid or a demon?"

"I'm a human!" Naruto answered him firmly.

"Then you're bright enough to understand when I say get the hell out of my field!"

"I'm hungry."

"Then find your own food but don't take mine."

"Hey, I found this food."

"In my yard."

"I don't see your name on it."

"Get lost!" The farmer shook his tool and Shikamaru backed away, frightened.

"Hey! You're scaring my friend!"

"Take your pet deer and get out of my field! Shoo, you damn brat!"

Naruto growled back, showing his teeth.

The farmer gave Naruto a hard look. "You don't seem very human to me."

"Well, I am." Naruto calmed slightly. "We'll leave in just a second. Let us finish eating first."

As Naruto started to reach for a fallen potato, the farmer struck Naruto hard on the hand with his hoe.

"I said get!"

"Ow! That hurt, you old geezer!"

"Get lost and don't you ever let me catch you near my field again! You hear me?"

Naruto pinned his ears back and lashed his tail.

"Don't make me tell you again. Get off my land now!"

Naruto started making that odd sound again. A strange vocalization in his throat. Now Shikamaru knew what it was. He was gekkering.

"Naruto, let's get out of here!"

Naruto stood his ground, challenging the farmer.

"Grrraugh!"

"Get!" The farmer struck Naruto hard with his hoe, nailing him on the shoulder.

That really hurt. Now Naruto was a little fearful. He backed away. When the farmer advanced, both Naruto and Shikamaru ran for it.

Shikamaru ran swiftly over the next few rows and around the rest. Naruto was a little slower. Part of him still wanted to fight this guy and the other part was telling him to run. Shikamaru looked back to check on him. "Naruto! Move it! We have to-"

Not watching where he was going, Shikamaru ran right into a grape vine. In fact, he was tangled. He pulled himself backwards but something had a hold of him. Now he saw what it was. It was a wooden cage the vines were using to cling as they grew. His antlers were stuck in the openings of the grape net and tangled in the vines. He shook his head. He started to tear down the wooden net. He could hear the wood splitting and cracking. He was still stuck. It wouldn't give.

"Naruto! Naruto, help me! I'm stuck!"

Naruto turned away from the farmer to see what Shikamaru was yelling about. That's when he saw something coming towards him from the barn. Another farmer. This one was slightly younger, but he was a man. Maybe he was this farmer's brother. Shikamaru started kicking his hooves and bucking his head, trying to free himself. The second farmer had something in his hands and it looked dangerous.

Shikamaru felt something hit him on the back, near his thigh. He turned his head and saw a second farmer, clubbing him with a shovel. He wasn't trying to help get him free. He was trying to hurt him. "Stop it! Ow! Stop!"

This farmer must have heard the first yelling in the field and came out to help. When he saw the deer tearing apart their grape vines, he came with a weapon to stop it. To him, Shikamaru was just a dumb deer. Maybe he intended to beat him to death and get dinner at the same time. Maybe he was trying to scare him off by beating him, though Naruto couldn't see the sense in that.

Whatever this man's intentions were, it was clear that he intended to hurt Shikamaru which Naruto wasn't about to let happen. He sprinted to the second farmer and tried to take the shovel away from him. "Leave him alone!" The farmer shoved him back and knocked him to the ground. He struck Shikamaru again, who was pleading for him to stop.

Naruto saw in his eyes such pain and fear. Shikamaru thought he was going to die here. He was going to be beaten to death and no one other than Naruto would be able to hear him pleading for his life. He was trapped and no matter how much he begged, this man would not stop beating him.

This was his friend. This horrible man was beating his friend to death.

Overcome with rage, Naruto got back to his feet, all four of them, and ran back to stop the farmer. Still on all fours, Naruto bit the farmer's leg, drawing blood. The farmer screamed and turned away from the deer to beat Naruto. He took one hit to the leg which only made him bite down harder. A second hit struck him in the back. Naruto released his leg, stood on his hind legs, grabbed the shovel and broke it over his knee. He tossed the two halves aside and tackled the man to the ground. He sank his teeth into the farmer's shoulder and started clawing at his face. The first farmer struck Naruto in the shoulder with his hoe and Naruto rolled off.

Shikamaru pulled with all his might and freed himself from the wooden net. A few vines were still wrapped around his antlers but at least he could run. He called for Naruto and started to run away. "Come on!"

Naruto watched him run and tried to follow. He was hit again by the hoe as he tried to leave. He slashed the farmer across the face and bolted. On all fours, he ran after Shikamaru. Shikamaru scaled the fence and through the grass on the other side. He lept over a pile of wood and toward the trees. Naruto scrambled over the fence. Across the grass and stumbled over the wood pile. He quickly got up and continued running. He saw Shikamaru's tail right in front of him. Then he was gone, disappearing into the woods. Something hit him on the shoulder and he toppled over. When he looked back he saw the farmers chasing after them. They were throwing stones. Naruto scrambled up and ran to the right, away from where Shikamaru had gone. Partly because he wanted to throw them off his trail. Partly because he panicked. He went straight for the cranberry thicket.

The long slender branches twisted, tangled into one another. There was an opening. A small tunnel. He could easily make it. He dove for the tunnel. His head made it in but not the rest of him. He was stuck on something. The branches were tangled in his backpack. He quickly slipped it off his back and scurried into the tunnel, leaving his backpack behind at the opening.

The tunnel twisted and weaved through dark foliage. There was a heavy smell of wood and dirt in the tunnel. He saw a faint light at the end of the tunnel and bounded towards it. He crawled out the other side into the forest. He was alone, but at least he was safe. He shook himself and stood on two legs. His backpack helped him maintain his balance now that his feet had changed. Without it, he was a little uneasy. He held out his tail which seemed to help. He started walking, hoping to catch up to Shikamaru, wherever he went.

Underneath an oak tree was a deer, panting heavily. He had run quite a distance. Much further than Naruto had. He greeted Shikamaru with a smile. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Shikamaru looked Naruto up and down. "What about you? You're bleeding."

"I am?" Naruto licked his lips and tasted copper. Blood. "Oh. That's the other guy's. It bit him a couple times."

"Oh. Thanks for back there, by the way."

"No problem."

Shikamaru was silent, then asked softly, "Why did you do it like that?"

"Do what like what?"

"You bit the guy and pushed him down. And scratched him."

"Yeah. And?"

Shikamaru looked serious. "Why didn't you use jutsu?"

Naruto's ears flicked. "Huh?"

"You have both hands. You can make hand signs. I can't. But you can. So why didn't you?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. It never occurred to me."

"But it's second nature to you. Your clones... you whip them out for everything. All the time. This time, you never thought to use it."

"Hey, isn't that what got us into this mess in the first place?" Naruto put his hands on his hips.

Shikamaru didn't know how to respond to that.

Naruto looked away. "I just never thought to use it. That's all. I guess... I didn't feel like it."

"Feel or remember?"

Naruto looked up. "Huh? What's that mean?"

Shikamaru looked worried again. "There were so many times you could have used your clones and you didn't. So many times you could have used another jutsu. Not only that... but, even your weapons."

"Hey, I used it when you were caught in those ropes at the other town."

"Yes, but since then you haven't. Not even to fish. You used your hands. Maybe you didn't have a fishing rod, but I know you have knives and things. You're using your weapons and ninja arts less and less. I was wondering... if... I was just wondering if you're starting to... forget how to use them."

"What? No way. I still know how to use them."

"Then do one right now."

Naruto stood still. "Right now?"

"Yes. Do it."

Naruto paused. He looked at the ground. To his left. Then right. "Ok. I'll do it." He held up his hands and froze. "Um..."

"You don't know how anymore, do you?"

Naruto shook his head. "No! It's just that..." Naruto looked down at the ground. "Building up chakra... I'm not really sure how to do that anymore. I'm not really sure what I'm doing right now."

He knew it. He had a sinking feeling that Naruto was slowly losing his ability. He thought it was odd for him to go so long without any additional transformations. Something was bound to go. If something physical did not go, then it had to be something else. As it turned out, it was his ninja arts. For so long, Naruto never even noticed that he was missing anything. Not using jutsu was natural. As far as he knew, nothing was amiss. There was a reason why he never though to use a jutsu and now they knew why.

Neither spoke a word after that and stood like statues.

"Maybe we should go," Shikamaru suggested.

"Yeah." Naruto kept his head down.

For the first time in a long while, he felt as if something was missing. He wasn't whole anymore. He felt as if he was losing something very important to him. He didn't notice it until Shikamaru brought it up.

What else was he missing?

* * *

Things are getting much worse.

Please review! ^-^


	14. Humans

**Chapter 14: Humans**

It was nightfall but no one wanted to rest. Not until they found Naruto and Shikamaru. They had to be close by. The path took them out of the woods and by a large farm. The lights were still on in the house. Whoever lived here must have just been finishing dinner. The group pressed on, ignoring the house.

Ino strayed from the path and over to a cranberry thicket. "I found something! Look!" She brought it back and handed it to Sakura. "Is this what I think it is?"

Sakura nodded slowly. "It's Naruto's backpack."

It was dirty and undoubtedly his. She knew it in an instant.

Shino moved closer and plucked something off near the zipper. "Corn strand." He held it up for them to see.

"Corn?" Sakura looked back at the farm and at the field of corn behind it. "He must have been here. He must have been eating in that field. Which means..." Her face lit up with hope. "Maybe the people who live here saw him."

"I found his bag over there. He must have taken this path."

"Yeah. If he left his bag behind, then I doubt he's in that farm house. Still, we can at least ask if they saw them and how long ago."

"We might be able to catch up. Or at least get some information." Shino started up the path toward the farm house. "We may also find out how along Naruto is with his transformation."

That was true. They wanted to know if Naruto was a fox hybrid or had the full form of a fox.

Shino led the girls up the dirt path to the front steps of the farm house. He knocked twice and waited. Moments later, someone answered. It was a middle-aged man with cuts all over his face. His shirt was also torn.

"Yeah?"

"Sorry to bother you, but we had-"

"Oh, not more of you." The farmer tried to close the door but Shino jammed it with his foot. "Move it!"

"What do you mean, 'not more of you'?"

The man pointed. "Your headband. I saw one just like it earlier today."

"He saw Naruto!" Sakura gasped. She pushed Shino out of her way to talk to the man. "Please. What did he look like? Did he have a fox tail?"

"Tail, ears, claws. That kid was a freak!"

"Did he give you those scratches?" Shino asked. It was something he had his suspicions about.

The man nodded. "Yeah. He did worse to my brother." He hollered into the house and a second man appeared. He was topless and had his pant leg rolled up. Wrapped just above his ankle was a bandage. His shoulder was also bandaged. His face and chest were cut up, each scratch deeper than the other. They were all claw marks. No mistaking that. Four long trails going the same direction. Like fingernails.

This was Naruto's handy work.

"Why did he do this?" Ino was horrified. The very idea that Naruto would go out and attack innocent people...

"Hell if I know," said the farmer. "I caught him and a deer raiding our field, tried to chase them away and he attacked me."

"That deer was tearing apart our grape vines so I tried to get it to stop and that's when the kid jumped on me and did this!" The man pointed to his face and shoulder. "Messed up my leg real good, too."

"Messing up your grapes?"

Shino was suspicious. Something just didn't seem right. Even Sakura had a gut feeling that something was being left out of their story. He was about to ask something when Sakura beat him to it.

"When you were trying to get the deer to stop and when the boy attacked you... how were you getting it to stop? What did you do?"

The man shrugged. "I was beating it with a shovel from the back."

Ino and Sakura were in his face, screaming. "You idiot! Of course he scratched you up like that! He was protecting Shikamaru! You jerk!"

"Thought so..." Shino was correct. Something told him that Naruto would not attack unless provoked. As it turned out, he was coming to Shikamaru's aid. Still, what he had done to these men seemed a bit excessive. Naruto was at fault as well.

Finally, once the girls were finished telling the men off, they managed to get some information about their friends. Naruto had not changed much according to the farmer's description. They also knew how long it had been since they left. They could still catch up.

However, something was bothering Shino. He knew to trust his gut and right now, it was telling him to be very careful about approaching Naruto and Shikamaru.

* * *

Night fell over the forest, giving life of its nocturnal creatures. Frogs sang a chorus in the grass by a small pond and crickets chirped from the shadows of the bushes. A lone cicada, reluctant to sleep, trilled from its perch halfway up an oak tree. Naruto and Shikamaru were enveloped in the sound that seemed to fill the sky. The soft wind carried the sounds above the trees and caressed the tired forms of Naruto and Shikamaru nestled beneath a tree.

The sky was so clear they could see every star.

"It's beautiful."

Naruto nodded his head, laying back against Shikamaru's body. "How's your shoulder and back? He didn't hit you too hard, did he?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. How are your injuries?"

"I'm just bruised. I'm fine."

"Thanks again for the help, Naruto."

"No problem."

Shikamaru lowered his head. "I'm tired."

"So go to sleep."

"Will you?"

"Oh, so you only will if I do?"

"You'll keep me awake with your talking. Such a pain."

"No, I won't."

"Tch. You're a troublesome guy."

"And you're lazy as can be."

"And don't you forget it." Shikamaru chuckled. "Though not too lazy to carry you part of the way. Remember?"

"Oh, that was an hour at most."

Shikamaru placed his head on the ground beside Naruto's legs. "We should get some rest, though."

"Yeah, ok." Naruto stretched out his legs and relaxed. "The night is so cool."

"You have more energy at night, don't you?"

He shrugged. "Dunno. I'm just not an early morning person, I guess." Naruto closed his eyes. "You could carry me again."

"Not gonna happen."

Naruto stuck his tongue out.

Shikamaru closed his eyes. "Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're with me."

"Because I can understand you and translate?"

"No. More than that. I just don't want to be alone in all this."

Naruto petted his hairy neck. "You're not alone."

"And neither are you."

Naruto smiled. "Yeah. Thanks for that."

* * *

Naruto and Shikamaru slept in the next morning. Again, Shikamaru awoke before him and went off to graze for a bit. Naruto stayed curled in a ball, his furry tail wrapped around his body. He looked so adorable.

When he finally woke up, they were on the move again. Naruto walked beside Shikamaru as they traveled. On their path, they noticed a single tree that actually had fruit in its branches. Naruto climbed up the trunk and shook the apples down. Shikamaru, not wanting to feel useless, reared up on his hind legs and tugged on some lower branches, pulling a few apples down as well. Apples for breakfast. There weren't many and a lot of them had worm holes in them. They ate what they could and went on their way.

As they were relaxing in the grass, Naruto heard a voice. His ears twitched.

"Naruto? Shikamaru? Are you there?"

Shino's voice.

Naruto jumped up and Shikamaru froze, his ears rotating quickly. He heard footsteps and grew worried.

He saw a human figure coming from the trees and became frightened. Was he going to have another beating? Was he going to be killed? Was he going to be eaten?

Thinking the same thing, Naruto crouched down and growled, arching his back.

Shino came into view. "There you two are. We were looking everywhere for you. You shouldn't have run off like that."

Shikamaru backed away. He knew it was Shino. However... Shino was a human. Shikamaru had become wary of humans. Though he knew Shno was a friend, he no longer trusted him. He could attack him or try to eat him.

"What's the matter? You know it's me, right?"

Naruto growled, crouched down on all fours. Shikamaru backed away a little further.

"It's me."

"I know it's you, Shino." Naruto kept his eyes on him. "Go away."

"Why?"

"Because..."

"Because why?"

"You're a human."

Shino didn't say anything.

"Just go away and leave us alone, Shino."

"But we're friends, Naruto. You know that, right? And you, too, Shikamaru."

All he could see when he looked at Shino were shovels and ropes. He saw Shino as a human. He knew he was a human. Humans were dangerous. Humans were scary. They beat him and tried to kill him. Humans wanted to eat him. He didn't like humans. He liked Shino, but knowing he was a human made it hard for Shikamaru to trust him. He was afraid of what he was.

Shikamaru backed away.

"Shikamaru, you know me. Please. I'm not going to hurt you. Please, Shikamaru." Shino took a step closer and Shikamaru fled. "Shikamaru wait! Please!"

Naruto started to leave, too.

"Not you, too, Naruto. Please wait."

He paused.

Shino approached him. "Please."

Naruto spun around and growled at him. "Leave us alone!"

"But why? We're friends."

"You're a human!" Naruto spat. "Humans have been nothing but trouble for us. They attack us and yell at us and do terrible things. If you're a human..." Naruto backed away. "I can't trust you, either."

"But you know me. I just want to help you."

"Then go away!"

Shino didn't leave. He came closer, very slowly. "Sakura is worried about you. She wants to see you. Don't you want to see her? She's worried."

Naruto backed away. "I don't like humans and neither does Shikamaru. I can't blame him. He was nearly beaten to death yesterday. He was hunted a couple days ago. He was nearly eaten a few times and there's so much else. Can't you just leave us alone?"

"But we want to help you."

"I don't need your help! I don't want you to help me! I just want you to leave me and Shikamaru alone! Every time I see a human, I think of all the things you're capable of. You're dangerous and Shikamaru's afraid of you. We can't trust you so get lost. I can't risk anything happening to either of us."

"You know I would never hurt you. I'm your friend."

Naruto shook his head. "I know that. But... I just don't like being around humans anymore."

"Not even me? Or Sakura?"

He shook his head. "Please, just go away."

"I can't leave you, Naruto."

"Get lost, Shino!"

"I'm not going anywhere. You still need our help."

"I'll figure it out on my own!" Naruto screamed. "We'll do it ourselves! Just go away!"

Shino refused and came a step closer. "Please let me help you."

"I said go!" Naruto showed his pointed teeth and growled. "Go!"

Shino didn't leave. He stayed put. "Naruto... Please."

"Leave us alone! Leave me alone!" Naruto charged and slashed Shino across the face with his claws. "Leave!"

Shino vanished and a swarm of insects buzzed off into the forest.

Naruto stood panting. No one was with him. He was alone.

"Shino..." He hung his head. "I'm sorry, but... I can't be around humans anymore. Even if it's you. I can't do it."

* * *

"We can't just wait around like this. They could be right there. We should pick up the pace."

"No." Shino blocked Sakura and Ino from taking another step. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Because I just used a clone to test Naruto and Shikamaru's stability. They're not well."

"Which is why we need to get there fast and be with them."

"No, you don't understand." Shino had to say it. "Naruto attacked me."

Sakura backed away in disbelief. "What?"

"He tried to slash me across the face. He attacked my clone but he didn't know that. He thought it was really me. I tried talking to him but the way he is now..."

"And Shikamaru?" asked Ino.

"He ran away. It seems he's frightened of humans now. There's no way to get near him."

"But..."

Shino shook his head. "I'm sorry. I had a feeling this might happen so I sent a clone to test it. Now that I know, I don't think it's a good idea for us to get near them. Shikamaru's too frightened and Naruto's become more violent."

"But foxes aren't really that aggressive," said Sakura.

"Remember the theory I had? About how the fox inside Naruto could have an effect on his transformation. The Nine-tails could be influencing him or it could just make him more aggressive and dangerous. We don't know for certain. Based off of what I've seen, it's safe to say that we can't get too close to him."

"Did he at least know who you were?" asked Ino. "He remembers us, right?"

"Yes, he knew us, but... he called us humans and now that's what he sees us as. We're not equals. We're not friends. We're humans. He knows us by name and who we are but I think that he feels we cannot be friends as things are now. Neither one of them trusts humans. We're different."

Sakura hung her head sadly. "If only we stayed with them."

"This is all my fault," said Ino. "I let them leave. If only I had..."

"It's not your fault. We were just..." Sakura looked at Shino. "If Naruto is becoming more aggressive toward humans, what about other animals? Is he going to lash out against Shikamaru?"

"I have no idea. I had a feeling it might happen. So far things seem fine between them. But over time... Remember, they were fine with us a few days ago. Now look."

"I have to find them. Maybe there's something I can-"

Shino stopped her. "No, Sakura. If you go, Naruto will attack you just as he did me."

"Then what the hell do we do?"

"We'll continue to follow them. We just won't make contact."

"That's it?" said Ino. "There's nothing else we can do?"

Shino shook his head. "No," he said sadly. "At this point, they may be too far gone."

* * *

Ooh boy. Not looking good.

Thoughts? Any thoughts on Shino? (I know the answers, but still ^^)

Please review!


	15. Flesh and Blood

**Chapter 15: Flesh and Blood**

Shikamaru started to become aware of certain changes that were happening after that. When Naruto returned, he and Shikamaru both agreed that their view on human beings had been skewed. They knew who their friends were, but were now focused on the fact that they were human. That was now their title. They were human. They were different. Even Naruto and Shikamaru were starting to think differently from humans. They saw nothing wrong with raiding the farm for food. To them, the farmers attacked them out of nowhere because they were mean humans.

Shikamaru became aware of the changes in themselves as well. He could move much faster through the woods now. He could hear the slightest sound with his ears, no matter how small. He could easily find water and sense changes in the weather. His antlers would still get tangled in thin hanging branches from time to time but he was getting much better with avoiding that as well. His running had also improved. He was such a fast runner. Controlling his legs was no longer a challenge. Now he could dart up an incline in the dense forest if he desired.

Naruto had improved as well. He was always very agile, but now even more so. He could climb with ease and his fishing had also improved. The changes in him weren't as apparent as they were with Shikamaru. However, Shikamaru did notice a few subtle things. For instance, Naruto would bury whatever he was too full to finish eating. His digging had improved and now he was much faster at it. When Shikamaru woke up after a nap, he noticed that Naruto had dug himself a small tunnel to sleep in. When asked about it, he claimed he didn't realize he had done it. Naruto had also become accustomed to sleeping on the ground. He no longer missed his bed and preferred to sleep under the stars. He thought it was much better. Now the idea of living in a house or anywhere indoors sounded confining. Out here he felt so free.

Along the road, they smelled something cooking and decided to investigate. It was a small tea house perched beside the road for travelers. Naruto had left behind his backpack so he didn't have any money on him. That didn't seem to be an issue. He didn't want to go inside. He was more interested in the barrels outside. He could smell food. He stuck his head inside one of the barrel and shuffled around with his face. He pulled something out with his teeth and dropped it on the ground. It was an apple core. He dug around and pulled out something else. He was gnawing on an orange peel. Naruto was actually digging through trash, trying to find something to eat.

Shikamaru didn't want to take part and hung back. When he sensed someone coming, he bolted. Naruto ran after him and the two went back on the road.

Only a half hour later, they smelled something else and got off the road quickly. Two humans were walking by. A man and a woman. They spotted Naruto peering around a tree and the woman grimaced.

"What?" Naruto asked her, slightly upset.

"What are you?" She looked disgusted.

"I'm a human."

"You don't look it."

"Tell me something I haven't heard..."

The man tugged on the woman's arm. "Come on. He's obliviously some deformed kid. Let's go."

"I'm not deformed," Naruto barked back.

The man started to turn but the woman tugged on him this time. "Let's get out of here. He gives me the creeps."

Naruto's ears twitched. "I give you the creeps?"

Shikamaru's ears twitched, watching from behind the trees. Naruto was getting very upset.

"Yeah," said the woman. "You're ugly and gross looking."

"You're no prize yourself, sister!" Naruto snapped.

The man pulled the woman behind his back and confronted Naruto. "Hey! You don't speak to her that way."

"Why? You gonna do something about it? I'd like to see you try!"

Shikamaru flinched. Was it his imagination, or was Naruto a little short-tempered? Why was he picking a fight?

The man took him up on his challenge and stepped forward. "I'll mop the floor with a punk like you."

Naruto arched his back and approached sideways, lashing his tail. The man took it as a joke and scoffed. Then Naruto stood up straight and showed his teeth, snarling. The man held up his fists, ready to box. Naruto launched an assertive attack, coming straight at him with his tail aloft and his ears rotated sideways. He man punched Naruto in the face. Naruto hissed and slashed him back, his claws cutting deep into the man's cheek.

"Ow!" The man pulled back, covering the open wound with his hand. "What the hell?"

Naruto snarled and came at him again. The man backed away but Naruto kept coming. He pounced on the man and cut him again.

"Stop it!" yelled the woman.

Naruto snarled at both of them and shoved the man into the woman. "Get lost! Go!"

Bleeding from his cheek and ear, the man pulled the woman along and they both ran for it.

Naruto stood tall, huffing in anger. Then he calmed and started down the road again. Shikamaru left the trees and approached cautiously. Naruto didn't acknowledge him until they were walking side by side.

"Was that really necessary?" Shikamaru asked.

"Was what necessary?"

"What you just did back there. Did you really need to attack them like that?"

Naruto rotated and flicked his ears. "Did what?"

"You just attacked that man. Don't you remember?"

Naruto looked down. "Well... yeah. Sort of. I know he made my blood boil but I'm not sure why. I don't know why I got so angry but I did and I just..." Naruto didn't look ashamed. Just confused.

This was wrong. He could see that now.

"Naruto..." he said. "We have to change back."

"Huh?"

"I was wrong. I think I just got caught up in the fun I was having, but now I see that I was wrong. We can't stay like this. This is no way to live."

"What do you mean? Didn't you say that we were better off living as animals?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "That was before I realized what was going to happen to us. We ran into our friends and we ran from them. They scared me too much and even you weren't comfortable around them. Don't you see? Before you had asked me about our friends and I said we could always visit. Now I see that that's impossible. I'm going to be too terrified of Choji to come anywhere near him. I run! And aside from that, look at us! We're digging through trash and get chased away and everything else! This is no way to live."

Naruto looked at the ground. That was a good point. He couldn't stand being around his friends anymore. Digging through trash did sound rather disgusting. He wanted the freedom and ended up overlooking everything he would be giving up. Still, the pull of the wild was too great. He found it difficult to give that up. But what of his friends? They were so precious to him. Was he really going to discard them all for the sake of feeling free? At least he would have Shikamaru so it may not have been as bad as he thought.

"And you're changing, too, Naruto. You're becoming scary."

He looked up. "Scary?"

"Yeah. The way I saw you attack those guys... You were picking a fight with them. Me being the way that I am... I might end up running from you, too."

Naruto's ears lowered. "Oh... I see..." Then he would be alone.

"We have to change back, Naruto. I'm having a very bad feeling."

Naruto agreed. Maybe turning into a fox was clouding his judgment. Maybe changing back was the right thing to do. "Yeah, you're right. That's what we're supposed to be doing, right?"

"Exactly. Our brains haven't been working very well recently. I'm starting to think the change is spreading to other parts of us."

"I know it's spreading for me." Naruto's cheeks started to turn pink. "I'm furry. Ahem. Down there."

Shikamaru looked down. "Oh."

"Not all of it. It's my legs, too. And some parts are ok. Here, look."

"I'll take your word for it." Shikamaru turned away.

Naruto chuckled sheepishly. His whole lower half was covered in fur. His feet even looked like real fox paws now. He thought his feet had turned black from walking barefoot through the dirt roads and mud. Now he saw they he had grown fur, dark as pitch. His clothes covered most of the changes, but Naruto knew it wasn't long until he was a full animal like Shikamaru.

* * *

After that, both Naruto and Shikamaru became aware of other changes they were experiencing. Or as Shikamaru put it, lack thereof. They were starting to get blanks in their memories. At first Shikamaru figured it was because he was so deep in thought, he didn't notice how far they were traveling or where they were heading. Then he realized that wasn't the case. When he first became aware of it, it was when he had wandered off to graze in a field. He didn't remember leaving the road. He knew this would be coming after he saw the way Naruto attacked those people and afterwords explained that he didn't remember most of it. That was the beginning. When he was aware that he had done something but couldn't remember the details. That was the start of it. Now both of them were starting to have memory blocks.

Shikamaru worried that this would impair them even further. It was hard enough dealing with their animal instincts. Now they had to worry about forgetting why they were doing things in the first place. Shikamaru knew this was coming. There were signs. Everything they were experiencing all led up to this. Everything from viewing humans differently to thinking more like an animal, like Naruto taking food from someone's property and not think twice about it. As far as he was concerned, he found it. He never thought he was stealing. Such thoughts no longer crossed their minds. Now Shikamaru worried about what else would no longer cross their minds. What if they couldn't remember why they wanted to go to the next village and for what purpose?

Soon, they would become like the crocodiles. They would be animals on the inside out.

He didn't want that. He already had a hard time thinking as it was. He felt stupider somehow. No, not stupid. Simple-minded. He was thinking more like a deer. He was already skittish like one. Now he ran away whenever he felt frightened or thought he was in danger. He was always quick to run from a fight when he was human but that was on account of his laziness. Now things were different and with different reasons.

As the day dragged on, they decided to take a short rest before continuing. There must have been a village nearby if they passed two humans along the way. They weren't carrying bags, either, which meant they weren't far from a town or something.

While Shikamaru rested, Naruto wandered off. He grew concerned and wondered if he should go look for him. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he heard rapid footsteps coming closer. Shikamaru remained perfectly still and listened. Naruto came running through the grass on all fours chasing a rabbit. The cottontail zigzagged but Naruto was on its tail no matter where it went. Then Naruto was in front of it, cutting it off. As the rabbit tried to make a hasty turn, Naruto chomped down on its neck and lifted it off the ground with his teeth. The rabbit twitched and Naruto began to pull it apart.

Shikamaru grimaced when he heard a loud snap and cracking. "I think it's dead now. Could you stop that?"

"Oh, sorry." Naruto sat down with the rabbit on his knee. He didn't move for some time as if debating something. Then Naruto picked up the rabbit in his hands and started eating it. Raw.

Blood dripped down his chin like the juice from a watermelon and from his hands. He ripped a chuck of bloody meat from the rabbit's stomach and chewed it. He swallowed and took another bite. Smaller bites he didn't bother chewing and simply swallowed them whole.

"Naruto..."

He turned his head. "Yeah?"

"Aren't you going to cook that?"

Naruto looked down. "Mm. It tastes good like this. And I don't have the time to build a fire and wait around. I'm hungry now. This works fine." He went back to eating, unaware of the horrified look on Shikamaru's face or the wide eyes he was staring at him with.

Now Naruto was eating raw meat.

Things had been going downhill slowly but now... Now things were getting much worse. They had to get cured fast. Before it was too late.

Soon they were back on their way. Naruto and Shikamaru walked side by side on the dirt road. Sometimes Naruto would wander off the road and into the grass then come back looking confused. He must have been getting lapses again. Shikamaru would do the same. He tried to keep himself focused while they made their way to the next village but it was difficult. He found it hard to resist the allure of the tranquil forest and being left alone to his own devices. That was the main reason he wanted to live as a deer in the first place. He wanted to be able to do whatever he wanted and not have to listen to anyone. He could be as lazy as he pleased. It was very appealing. Every now and then he would get lapses he could not control and other times he would give into the ones he could feel coming on.

Shikamaru stopped, his ears picking up a sound. It was big. "Naruto."

He stopped to listen. The grass was moving. Footsteps.

They both turned to the woods and saw something large moving slowly through the trees. It was a bear. It lumbered slowly between the trees, stopping only to give the boys its attention for a few moments. It stared at them and they stared back. Then it turned away and paid them no mind. It walked away and disappeared.

Shikamaru released his held breath with a deep sigh. He was hoping it wouldn't attack them.

"That was pretty cool, wasn't it?" asked Naruto, looking cheerful.

"Yeah."

"I'm going to go see if we can talk to it." Naruto went off the road and into the woods.

"Naruto, wait!" Shikamaru chased after him. "Are you crazy?"

"Hey, if we're turning into animals, maybe we can talk to it. I can understand you, after all."

"Yeah, but didn't you try the same thing with the crocodiles and it failed?"

"That was when we were just starting out. Since we're this far along, maybe we can talk to animals. I'm going to give it a try."

"I really don't think it's such a good idea."

As usual Naruto wasn't listening and did his own thing. He was a slave to his whims.

Shikamaru hung back, not wanting to get too close to the bear. He had a bad feeling Naruto may provoke it. He let Naruto go on ahead and waited for him to return. Or scream and come running.

The next thing Shikamaru was aware, he was grazing. Another lapse. He couldn't remember anything. This was getting to be troublesome.

"Wah!"

Shikamaru looked up. "Naruto?" Was he hurt? Did the bear attack him? Shikamaru went deeper into the woods to find out what had happened. "Naruto?"

Naruto was on the ground in front of another animal. It wasn't a bear. It was a deer. A huge buck with eight prongs. That was two more than Shikamaru had. The buck scraped the ground with its hoof, lowering its head. Naruto pressed his ears against his skull and arched his back, grinning nervously. No, he was grinning in submission. This must have been another fox trait. He was backing away, showing he was no threat.

The deer didn't seem to think so and charged, head lowered. Naruto dove out of the way and tried to run but the deer chased after him like a bull. This deer wasn't going to let Naruto go. What had he done to anger it so much?

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Shikamaru yelled. "Stop it!"

The deer didn't listen to him and ran into Naruto from behind. Naruto was thrown into the air and, just before he fell, he caught hold of a branch and held on tight. Up here, the deer couldn't reach him. It was still trying, though.

"Shoo! Get away from me!"

Shikamaru didn't know what to do. Naruto was in trouble. So often it was Naruto who protected Shikamaru. Now it was time for him to return the favor. Shikamaru had to do something to protect him.

He didn't know what had come over him, but the next second, he was charging in. He lowered his head and his antlers made contact with the deer's side. He pushed it away from the tree, giving Naruto a chance to run.

The buck recovered and bellowed at Shikamaru. It lowered its head. Shikamaru did the same. His antlers made contact with the other deer's. They made a loud clacking sound and Shikamaru could feel the buck's strength in his neck. He pushed back. Their antlers were locked.

Naruto jumped down from the tree and watched in amazement. "Whoa..."

Shikamaru pushed back hard but the other deer was stronger than him. His hooves slid across the grass. They pulled apart and rammed into each other again. Thinking he would have the advantage if he was higher, Shikamaru lifted himself onto his hind legs and kicked out at the other deer. The deer did the same. Its hooves were hard and powerful. Shikamaru felt a direct hit in his front right leg, equivalent to being struck by a stone rod. It hurt! Shikamaru bellowed loudly. He tried to kick it back but all his swings were misses.

The deer pushed him back. Still on his hind legs, Shikamaru lost his balance and toppled over. The deer pulled away and tried to gore him in the stomach with its antler. Shikamaru kicked with all four legs, trying to keep it at a distance. It moved in.

It disappeared.

Shikamaru rolled onto his side and looked around. Naruto was on top of the deer, biting its underside. The deer kicked and Naruto silenced it once and for all. He drove his clawed hands into its chest and tore it apart. He pulled out fistfuls of flesh and muscle. The deer didn't move after that. Naruto had killed it.

Naruto reached in and pulled out pieces of flesh and started eating it while it was still warm and oozing blood.

"Naruto."

He ignored him, chowing down on the meat.

"Naruto!"

He turned, his mouth full. "Hm?"

Shikamaru had a powerful urge to run away. Naruto was eating a deer. His own kind. He took it down so easily. "You... You're eating a deer."

He looked down. Naruto swallowed and sniffed the meat. He started to lean in for another bite, then stopped, his open mouth hovering over the meat. He dropped it and quickly backed away. Naruto looked horrified.

"Are you ok?" Shikamaru asked, concerned.

Naruto turned away from the dead deer, breathing heavily. "I... I didn't know I was... I don't remember doing that. The last thing I remember, I was trying to stop it from goring you and then..." Naruto looked down at his hands, stained with blood. He tried wiping them off on his pants.

"It's ok, Naruto."

"The thing is... it actually tastes good. I like deer meat."

Naruto and Shikamaru couldn't look at each other. Naruto liked the taste of deer flesh. Shikamaru was a deer. Naruto didn't remember doing any of that. What did this mean?

"Shikamaru..."

"Yeah?"

"I..." Naruto looked worried. "I think we should get to the next village. Really soon."

"Me, too."

* * *

Oh, no.

This will not end well.

Please review!


	16. Sai

**Chapter 16: Sai **

Shino insisted that they keep their distance from Naruto and Shikamaru as long as they're in this state. Naruto had attacked Shino, not knowing it was a clone, which meant that he thought he was attacking the real one. If he was willing to do that, what else would he do? It was too dangerous. It was impossible to know what they were thinking now. He knew they couldn't be left on their own but they couldn't get too close. Shino used his bugs to keep track of where they were going and made sure to stay out of sight and downwind of them so they wouldn't catch a scent. It was hard to do, but this is what ninja were trained for.

"Oh, my God!"

"What?" Sakura stopped. Ino was looking into the forest with a horrified expression. "What?"

Ino ran off the road and into the woods. They followed her through bushes and tall grass and weeds to a brown mound on the ground. Ino stood over the mound, close to tears. "He killed him!" she shrieked. "He killed Shikamaru!"

It was a dead deer. It's throat had been torn out and it had a hole in its chest. The ground was stained with blood and flies were starting to buzz around the body.

Had Naruto really done this? Had he killed Shikamaru? This was why Shino didn't want them getting too close. Naruto had become extremely violent. He must have taken it out on the only one nearby.

"Wait, Ino," said Sakura. "Look. This deer has eight prongs. Shikamaru had six. This couldn't be him."

Ino sniffled, tears welling in her eyes, threatening to overflow. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. See? It's bigger than him, too. I think this is a wild deer. This can't be Shikamaru."

Ino still had her doubts but her tears had vanished. "You're sure? Really sure?"

"I'm positive. It's not him."

Shino agreed after having a conversation with a few of his bugs. "Shikamaru is still on the move with Naruto. This is just a normal deer."

Ino was so relieved, she nearly fell to the ground. "Oh, good..." Then her face turned to anger. "Give me a heart attacked, why don't you?!"

They went back on the trail, still thinking about the dead deer. Everyone of them had immediately thought Naruto had done it. They all thought he had killed Shikamaru. That was their first thought. What an awful thought at that. Now they all felt ashamed for thinking such a thing. Still, there was that fear. If Naruto had been willing to attack Shino, why not Shikamaru?

There was rustling coming from off the trail. Could that be them?

Sakura was too impulsive to wait. She ran from the trail and into the woods. "Naruto? Is that you?"

The rustling stopped. "Sakura?"

She stopped, too. That wasn't Naruto's voice.

"What are you doing out here?" came Sai's voice. "Are you on a mission with Naruto?"

That's right. Sai had left the village on a mission. They couldn't find him when Naruto and Shikamaru had started their transformation. They had no idea what animal Sai would turn into.

When Shikamaru changed, no one other than Naruto could understand him. If Sakura could understand Sai's voice, did this mean he wasn't as far along as Shikamaru and was more like Naruto?

"Sai, come out where I can see you. We have to talk." She prepared for the worst. He could have been a harmless bird or a large bear.

The rustling resumed when Sai stepped out from the weeds and cattails. Sakura stared at him in surprise. He was human. Not a thing about him had changed. He looked the same way he always did. No fur or feathers or scales or anything.

Shino and Ino had caught up and shared in Sakura's surprise.

Sai looked at all three of them and cocked his head. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"You..." said Sakura. "You're not an animal."

Sai blinked. "Do you mean that literally or is that a slang term I'm unfamiliar with?"

"Sai, did you change at all after you left the village?"

"I have no idea what you mean. What's going on?"

He had no idea. He didn't know what had happened.

"Are you just coming back from your mission?"

"Yes," he said. "I just finished a little while ago and I'm heading back. Why? Did the Hokage send back-up? It wasn't needed. The other ninja I came with went ahead. I said I would catch up. We did fine on our own."

"No, we're..." Sakura looked at Ino. How was she supposed to word this?"

"Sai, did you happen to see Naruto or Shikamaru before leaving the village? Did you notice anything different about them?"

"No. I haven't seen them since they left the restaurant. Why? Are they in trouble?"

"Sai, did you notice anything different about yourself in the last few days? Did you grown fur or anything?"

Sai cocked his head again. "Fur? Why would I..?"

"So nothing strange happened to you at all?"

"No, nothing. What's this about?"

Nothing had happened to Sai at all. He didn't even know anything was going on.

"I don't get it," said Sakura to Ino. "Why isn't he an animal, too? Why did it only happen to Naruto and Shikamaru?"

"I have no idea. It doesn't make sense." Ino tried to figure out this puzzle. "Why? What makes him so different from them? Since he doesn't know what's going on, then he didn't just change and then change back. He was never an animal."

"But the other two were. Why?"

"Do you think he did something different from them?"

"No idea."

Sai looked from girl to girl, then said, "Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?"

They explained what had happened to Naruto and Shikamaru and told Sai everything they knew so far and what they were doing.

"So you didn't do anything different than what they did?"

"No. If breaking the rules gets you cursed, I don't know why I'm not like them. I broke the rules, too. I did everything they did."

"You think Sai's immune to curses or something?"

"I don't think that's it."

Shino took over from there. "Did you happen to pass by a deer and a fox on your way? Or a humanoid fox?"

Sai shook his head. "No. I haven't been looking either."

Did Naruto and Shikamaru stray off the path? No, Shino's bugs would have followed them no matter where they went. They must have just missed each other.

"Did you need help looking for them?" Sai asked.

"No. This is our mission. You go back to the village if that's where you're heading. We can handle this. Go on your way and don't worry about it."

Sai nodded in understanding. "Alright. Good luck." Sai was off again, running through the trees to catch up with his partner. As he got further away, he began to wonder about Naruto's condition. He was curious above all else. Yet, he had to admit a small amount of concern was beginning to seep into his heart.

If Naruto was turning into a fox like they said, would he be alright? What of the Nine-tails dwelling within his body? Would that be unleashed as well?

He wasn't certain why he was feeling a bit worried or if this was even worry he was feeling. Yet he was feeling concerned. He wanted his friend to be alright.

* * *

Things had been going from bad to worse after that for the two cursed boys. Naruto kept his distance from Shikamaru for the next hour, frightened of what he might do and not realize he was doing it. He was reluctant to talk about the incident with the deer, as well. About the kill and the events leading up to it.

With all honesty, Naruto could not remember what he had done to get on that deer's bad side. He remembered chasing after the bear and the next thing he knew, he was face-to-face with a deer who was itching for a fight. Was that buck protecting its territory or its young? Perhaps a mate? Was it in self-defense? Had Naruto attacked it first? He could not remember.

"Shikamaru..."

"Yeah?"

"What about in your fight? With the deer, I mean."

"What about it?"

"That noise you were making. Why were you doing that?"

Shikamaru was puzzled. "What noise?"

"You were making this weird honking sound when you were fighting that deer. Like a bellow." Naruto tried to imitate it, but did a poor job.

"I don't remember doing that. I remember fighting it for the most part but I don't remember making such a noise."

"It was weird. I thought you were doing it on purpose."

"Why would you think that?"

Naruto shrugged. "Because usually I can understand you. But when you did that, I couldn't figure out if you were trying to say something or if you were just making a sound."

"Like when you make that weird noise? That gekker?"

"I still have no idea what a gekker is, but I guess."

Shikamaru had a bad feeling that soon those sounds would be the only thing they can make. Maybe soon they would not be able to understand each other.

They both tried their best to remain as human as possible, but things were becoming much harder for them. Neither one wanted to be indoors and they tried to avoid humans. Anything human about them, even mannerisms, were starting to disappear. Naruto no longer missed his bed and now found sleeping on the ground much more comfortable. He even came to think of his old village as a prison. He never wanted to see those gates again. He didn't want to be sealed inside, or trapped. He didn't want to be around people. He didn't care about convenience anymore, either. Now he enjoyed going to gather his own food. He had even stopped bringing things back for Shikamaru to eat and now only hunted for himself. It wasn't something he was doing on purpose.

That was what troubled Shikamaru.

Everything they enjoyed as humans was disappearing. They were becoming more like animals by the minute.

"Ah!" Naruto dropped to the ground.

"What's the matter?" Shikamaru stood over him. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I... I just lost my balance." Naruto tried to stand up but it was very difficult. His legs wobbled as he struggled to stand. He was shorter. He tried to take a step and fell again. "What the hell is this?"

Naruto sat on the ground and rolled up his pant legs. His legs had changed. They no longer looked human. They were canine. Furry legs, much shorter than his human ones which made his feet look even bigger.

"Naruto... Your legs..."

"I know. I have fox legs now. It's not just my feet anymore." Naruto tried to laugh it off to ease the tension. "Heheheh... On the plus side, my paw pads are really cool to touch. Want to feel them?"

Shikamaru frowned. "I can't feel anything with my hooves." He held them up to show how hard they were. "Naruto, this is..."

"I know what you're going to say. It's fine." Naruto tried to stand up again. It was getting easier. His legs wobbled, taking one step and then another. "See? I've got the hang of it. Just fi- ahh!" Naruto fell face-first into the dirt. "I'm fine. Don't help me up."

Shikamaru's ears twitched, picking up a sound. He suddenly darted into the woods, leaving Naruto all alone.

"What the hell, Shikamaru?!" Naruto tried to followed after him but couldn't run with these legs. Using all fours, he bolted into the woods and hid himself behind a shrub.

Human voices. They sounded young. Like children. Naruto shut his eyes tight and waited for them to leave. After a few minutes, the voices went away and the forest was silent again.

Naruto poked his head out to make sure they were gone. "Shikamaru? You there?"

His deer friend came back from up the hill. "Sorry."

"Why did you run off like that and leave me all alone?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to. I just did it."

"But why?"

"I don't know why."

Naruto sighed. He knew Shikamaru knew why and wasn't telling him. "If those were children... then a village must be close by. Let's keep going down this path, ok?"

* * *

Please review!


	17. Fox

**Chapter 17: Fox**

Twilight was beautiful this night. It was the night before the full moon, but it was so big it was easily mistaken for full. The sun disappeared beyond the horizon, painting the sky a deep lilac, which made the moon even more striking. The forest was buzzing with life. There was so much chirping and buzzing and croaking it was almost deafening.

Naruto and Shikamaru made their way down the path, saying very little. Naruto was noticing that Shikamaru was starting to bolt at nearly everything and left him alone for a short time before coming back. When Naruto turned to ask Shikamaru about it, he seemed deep in thought and didn't respond.

"Shikamaru!"

"What? Huh?" He looked up, slightly startled.

"Didn't you hear me?"

"No. What did you say?"

This was happening more often. It was almost as if Shikamaru were wrapped in a spell and wouldn't be able to hear anyone's voice. His eyes also started to change when he was in this state for longer than a few seconds. His entire eye would become a deep brown color, like that of a real deer.

According to Shikamaru, Naruto was also having a similar issue with this. Aside from running off, his eyes were also starting to change. They were looking more cat-like. They wouldn't last as long as Shikamaru's however. At least, that was as far as either of them knew.

In the late evening, they finally arrived at a village. Lights were still on in some of the homes but most of them were dark. It was a decent sized village and almost no one was outside.

"This is perfect," said Naruto. "We can go in and not have to worry about people bothering us."

But why were they here? For what?

"Come on, let's go." Naruto started down the path, then stopped when he realized Shikamaru wasn't coming. "What's wrong?"

"There are people in there. I'm not so sure I want to go in there." Shikamaru cowered behind a tree.

Naruto went back to him. "We both agreed that we had to get to the next village. This is it. Now come on."

"Naruto, this is all wrong!" Shikamaru cried. He was extremely upset. "My mind doesn't work the way it used to and most of the time I can't think straight. Now it's working at least a little bit. Naruto, the village we were supposed to go to in order to fix this is way back there! It was the one we ran from, remember? That was the village. This one... This is the wrong place! We're not going to get any help here. I don't see the point."

"So we run from this one, too? Shikamaru, we're never going to get anything done if we keep running off like we've been. Humor me and let's go."

"No, I don't want to. And it's the wrong place anyway. I don't see the point."

"We have to!" Naruto barked.

Shikamaru flinched at his loud tone and moved away, preparing to run.

"No, no, no, no..! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I just need you to help me out. Please? I can't do this alone."

As long as Shikamaru's brain was working, he decided to use it to consider his options and the situation they were in. He kept running away and not out of laziness but out of fear. He had already decided he could not live as a deer. There were too many issues. This was the wrong village so there was little reason for them to be here.

Still, there may have been a chance, however slim.

"Please?" Naruto's eyed pleaded. "Please?"

Naruto needed him. All this time, Naruto had been the one helping him out. He had to return the favor. He had to go into this village for Naruto's sake.

"Ok. Ok, I'll do it."

"Great! I'll be right there with you. Don't worry."

They entered the village together. They walked slowly. Naruto wasn't sure of the time but it must have been close to midnight. Why were there still lights in a few houses? There was no one on the street, which put Shikamaru at ease.

Shikamaru had to work through his fear and not let it get the better of him. He had to resist the urge to run.

"You doing ok, Shikamaru?"

"Yeah. I'm ok."

"That's great. I'm right here. Don't worry." Naruto turned his head, ears moving. His nose twitched, catching a scent. He started to walk away.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru followed him.

Naruto went over to a trashcan and started digging through it. He grabbed half-eaten fruit and bones with meat still attached and started eating.

"Naruto. Naruto, stop that."

He didn't listen and started scooping things out of the trash and dumped them on the ground. He was diving deeper into the can, looking for food.

"Naruto, please. Enough."

Naruto removed his head from the can and lifted it toward the sky. His ears twitched.

"Naruto?"

He turned his head. Naruto's eyes had changed. The sclera had become dark and his irises had changed color as well. They were a deep orange color. His pupils had become narrow, making his eyes look cat-like. Naruto's eyes changed into this only a few times before and only since yesterday.

"Naruto?"

He came away from the can and moved closer to Shikamaru, on all fours. He was sniffing him.

"Naruto, it's me. You know me, right?"

Naruto's lips started to curl. He was growling.

"Naruto? Naruto?"

His eyes changed again. They were blue, but his pupils remained the same. "What?" he asked.

"Are you ok?"

Naruto stood on his hind legs. "Yeah, why?" He didn't realize what had just happened.

"You changed, Naruto. You were..." He didn't want to say it.

"What?"

"Never mind."

"No, what?"

"For a second... it almost looked like... you were..." Shikamaru swallowed. "Coming after me. Like you were going to attack."

"Attack you? No way! I wouldn't do that."

"It looked almost like you were..."

Naruto didn't know what to make of this. He knew he would never attack his friend. Then again, he had been acting a little off lately. But foxes didn't attack deer, did they? He never heard of such a thing actually happening.

Shikamaru's ears twitched, hearing something. "Naruto!" he whispered loudly and started to back up.

More lights were coming on and doors began to open. First a couple of villagers, then more. Now it seemed half the village was out of their homes and coming their way. Some were carrying rolling pins and brooms while others had shovels or large sticks. They were closing in.

Naruto started to growl. Shikamaru came closer. "Control yourself, Naruto. Please don't let your rage get the better of you. Please try to be calm."

That's right. He had a short fuse now. He had attacked humans before. He couldn't do that here. They were not about to find another village and wander further away from their goal. They had to stay here and... and...

And what? What were they doing in this village? What were they supposed to find out?

Soon, the villagers had surrounded them. Lanterns were lit and flashlights were shone. They were mostly focused on Naruto. Worried children's faces appeared in the windows before being pulled away and the curtains were drawn again. Did they consider him to be a threat? He hadn't done anything. Not yet.

"That's the one!" yelled a young man. "That's the beast that attacked me on our walk and scratched me up!"

The couple from before. This was their village. No wonder they were given such a greeting. The man must have told everyone that there was a monster loose and to be on the look-out.

"What the hell is that thing?"

"It's looks awful!"

"It could be a demon trying to take on human form and doing a poor job of it."

"We should get the village healer out here. She'll get rid of it if it is a monster."

"We don't have to trouble her. We'll handle this ourselves."

"Still, what is it?"

Naruto frowned. His temper was starting to boil. He hated them talking about him like this. Hated it! "I can hear you, you know!"

Shikamaru tried to keep him calm. "Just relax. Please don't start something."

"I'm not starting something! They are!" Naruto growled.

"Please stay calm."

The villagers were still talking about him.

"He's so gross."

"He's almost mutated."

"Maybe he is."

"But what is it?"

"What is that thing?"

Naruto stomped his foot on the ground. "I said I can hear you!"

"Then tell us what you are! Some sort of monster? A beast? A coyote? A wolf?"

"No!"

"Then you must be a demon. A demon trying to masquerade as a person."

"That's what it is?"

"It can't be a demon."

"A deformed boy?"

"No, no. But what is it?"

Naruto had enough of this chatter about him as if he weren't here. "I'm a fox!" he snapped.

Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock. Since when had Naruto referred to himself as a fox? Did he not think of himself as human anymore or did he no longer think that he was? This wasn't a good sign at all.

"Naruto. We-"

"Shut up!" he snarled. "I'll have to teach these guys a lesson. They can't talk to me like that. They can't treat me like this and get away with it."

"But, Naru-"

"Filthy, stinking human scum! I hate humans. All of them! They are better off dead! I'll put them in their place." Naruto's body curved as he crouched down, preparing to spring. The claws on his hands had become longer and his fangs were showing. He growled loudly, fur standing on end. His tail swished back and forth. He wanted to attack them.

"Please, listen to me, Naruto. You can't..."

Naruto felt his anger mounting, raging out of control. He did nothing to stop it. He wanted to give in and do what he desired most. He wanted to make them pay. He wanted to hurt them. He wanted to kill them. Kill them all.

The villagers looked fearful.

"Get out of our village!" shouted a man. "Get out and don't you ever come back."

Naruto snarled at them and started barking. He couldn't speak anymore. Naruto's temper was spiraling into a dangerous rage. Only blood could calm him now.

"Get! Get!"

"Raugh!" Naruto ran forward on all fours and jumped, landing on the man's chest and bit him on the wrist when he tried to defend himself. He then jumped to another villagers and started clawing at his face and arms.

"Naruto, no!" Shikamaru tried desperately to call Naruto back but he could no longer hear his voice. "Naruto! Naruto, please stop!"

He was on a rampage. He jumped from one person to the next, clawing and biting. Women beat him with brooms which he snapped in half. He ran to the next and attacked them as well. A broom came down on his back and he spun around, grabbing it in his hand and snapped it in two. He then grabbed the woman's skirt, dragged her down and started biting her. Her screams only fueled his rage. The villagers tried to pull him off but his teeth were embedded in her arm. When they tried to pull him away, it only caused her flesh to be torn further.

"That's enough, Naruto!" Shikamaru begged. "That's enough! Please, stop!"

This was horrifying. He wasn't going to stop. Shikamaru tried to work through his fear and desire to run. He couldn't bring himself to get near Naruto when he was like this. He had never seen Naruto so violent. Was he not going to be satisfied until every human in this village was dead?

Shikamaru refused to run yet he couldn't bring himself to come between Naruto and the villagers. "Naruto... Naruto, please... Please don't."

Naruto yelped as a man kicked him in the ribs and sent him into the street. Worked into a frenzy, the villagers started beating him with whatever they had on hand. Naruto clawed his way out, snarling like a wild animal. They chased him, kicking him and throwing stones.

"Naruto..." He had to do something. He had to protect his friend. They were going to beat him to death.

The villagers kicked and stomped on his limbs. They beat him with their sticks and shovels. Naruto snapped at their ankles and tore off their flesh. His claws gouged splintering woods, breaking their sticks and brooms. Then he disappeared again behind their legs and swings.

He couldn't take it anymore. He had to protect Naruto the same way he protected him. Shikamaru charged in, head lowered and started bucking. He just wanted to pushed them away, not kill them. The humans backed away, fleeing from his antlers. He stood over Naruto, shaking his head and stomping his hooves. "Stay away from him!" he bellowed. "Stay away!"

Naruto found his feet and was snarling again, his tail swishing.

"Are you alright, Naruto?"

He was bleeding but he was otherwise alright. More than anything else, he wanted to continue the fight. He snarled loudly and growled at them, showing everyone of his teeth.

This wasn't working out. No matter where they went, trouble soon followed. No. They were the ones causing trouble. At every village they went to, something happened and they would have to leave. This one was no different. Even if they begged, no one would let them stay here, much less help them.

"Naruto, we have to get out of here."

He snarled, moving forward.

"No, Naruto. We have to leave this village. It's not safe. Please."

He wasn't backing down. He wouldn't leave until he was finished. Naruto moved in front of Shikamaru, head lowered, growling menacingly. He was still after the villagers.

Most of them had backed off and others fled to tend to the injured. Naruto would be chasing them down. They still had the will to defend themselves, but their weapons were broken and now Naruto had backup. Most of them wanted to flee. Some wanted to stay and fight Naruto off. Either they would kill Naruto or they would be killed by him.

"Naruto, we have to get out of here. Please, let's just go."

He wasn't listening. He continued to growl.

"Please, Naruto. We have to leave, now. Please!" Shikamaru desperately tried to convince Naruto to come with him. "Please, Naruto. Please."

Naruto had his back turned to him.

"Please just listen to me! Please! Have have to go! You don't have to hurt them anymore. I don't want them to hurt you. Please, come with me away from here. Please."

Naruto's growling subsided. He appeared to be calming down.

This was good. He was getting through to him. He didn't say anything further, fearing it would annoy Naruto and send him into another fury. He made his point. It was time to leave.

Shikamaru started to walk away, hoping Naruto would follow him. He paused, waiting for Naruto to make a move. He wasn't leaving without him. As soon as he saw Naruto move, he would start walking.

"Naruto."

He wasn't moving. He was staying perfectly still. His ear twitched slightly, rotating in his direction so Shikamaru knew he was heard. Then why wasn't he moving? This was no time for Naruto to do what he wanted. They had to get out of here before the villagers could retaliate. They had to see to Naruto's wounds. They had to get away from this village.

"Naruto?"

Suddenly, Naruto spun around with a snarl. He took the two steps needed to reach Shikamaru, who was standing at a distance behind him, and bit him. Naruto's sharp teeth broke the skin easily and sank deeply into Shikamaru's neck.

Shikamaru's eyes widened in shock. "Na... Naruto..."

His eyes were different again. His deep orange fox eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight, giving him an eerie and sinister look.

He wasn't Naruto anymore. He was gone.

* * *

D8

Please review!


	18. Too Far Gone

**Chapter 18: Too Far Gone**

He hadn't provoked him. He didn't threaten him. He kept his distance. Naruto intentionally came to him and attacked. Shikamaru had done nothing. Naruto didn't even have the excuse of mistaking him for an enemy. He deliberately wanted to hurt him.

The fox in him had taken over. Those were not Naruto's eyes. These weren't his actions. This was an aggressive fox bent on violence.

Naruto's jaw clamped down hard and pulled away, taking a chuck of Shikamaru's neck with him. Blood poured from the open wounds and ran down his shoulder, down his leg and to his hoof. Naruto snarled at him, narrowing his fox eyes.

He turned back to the villagers and hissed, making them flinch.

Then he blinked. His eyes were blue again. He saw the villagers looking frightened, cowering in the middle of the street. Some were bleeding, some were holding broken pieces of wood in their trembling hands. Naruto's body was in pain. He ached. He licked his lips and tasted blood. It was fresh. Had he been injured in a fight? Why couldn't he remember?

He wiped his mouth off on the back of his hand. There were tiny hairs in the blood. It looked like brown fur. His fur wasn't brown.

He turned around to find Shikamaru frozen in terror, an open wound on his neck. It looked like something had bitten him, tearing out some of his flesh. His eyes were focused on Naruto, his breath quivering.

Naruto's eyes winded, putting pieces together and coming to a horrifying conclusion. "Sh... Shikamaru..? Did... Did I..?" Did he attack Shikamaru?

Something was in his mouth. He spat it into his hand. Shikamaru's flesh and fur. He had attacked him. He's the one who bit Shikamaru. He injured him.

"Oh, my God..." Naruto felt sick to his stomach. He had just attacked his friend. Judging from the wound, he intended to kill him. He just tried to kill Shikamaru. "Oh, no..."

Naruto was beside himself with horror. He didn't remember doing it. He knew he had bouts of fox instincts taking over and random fits of rage. He knew he had lapses, but this was the worst one he ever had. This was the worst thing he had ever done. He just tried to kill his friend.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my..." Naruto took a step closer. "Shikamaru... Shikamaru, I'm so sorry. I didn't-"

Shikamaru turned on the spot and bolted. He ran from Naruto into the forest.

"No! Shikamaru! Wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..."

Shikamaru was gone. He must have feared for his life. He was frightened of Naruto.

"I didn't mean to..." Naruto fell to his knees and sat in the dirt. There was blood on his hands. There was blood in the dirt. There was blood in his mouth. "I didn't mean it."

He didn't mean it.

"I'm so sorry, Shikamaru. I didn't mean it..!" Naruto started sobbing.

What had he done? This was his doing. He didn't mean it, but he did it. He just attacked Shikamaru. He could have killed him. He tried to kill him. He just tried to kill his friend. What sort of monster was he becoming? He had no control over himself. He didn't remember any of it. Not a thing.

This was even worse than Naruto thought. Far worse than he expected. He was warned they may become dangerous. That he may end up attacking someone. He was warned. He passed it off as only a theory. He thought he could resist it. He thought it would never happen. He was so confident that he would never attack his friends, no matter how he changed. It was unthinkable. He would never do such a thing.

He thought it would be fun to be a fox. He didn't see any danger with it. He thought he could handle it. He never thought he would ever become so violent. He never thought he would be capable of hurting any one of his friends. He never thought he would attack a fellow animal. He would never attack someone afflicted with the same curse as himself. The one he spent these past six days traveling with and protecting.

What had he done?

He just drove everyone of his friends away. He tried to strike Shino when he only wanted to help, he attacked Shikamaru and couldn't even remember doing it. That was much worse. He was not in control of his actions. He didn't know what he was doing. What else had he done when he blacked out? What else had he done beyond his control?

What had he done?

What was worse? Attacking his friends and knowingly doing it? Or trying to kill his friends and not remember doing it? Either way it was bad!

This was no way to live. What was the point if he ended up alone? If he had no friends and tried to kill the ones he had? He would be alone. A murderer. A monster. A beast.

"I don't want this!" Naruto wailed. He slammed his head into the ground, half expecting this whole thing was a dream he would wake up from. "I don't want this!"

He didn't want to hurt his friends. He didn't want to become a threat. He didn't want to live like this.

While he was on the ground sobbing, the villagers sneaked up behind him with their broken weapons. It would be so easy to kill him now. His back was turned, he was distracted. It was time to put down this beast before it hurt anyone else.

"Stop!"

The villagers stopped their attack and spun around. A woman in a green shawl was sprinting down the street with a small lantern.

"What are you doing? He's just a boy!"

"This boy just attacked our village and put many people out with horrible injuries," said a man. "He's a beast!"

"Move it." The woman came closer and looked at Naruto. She saw him covered in injuries and his clothes were torn. His shoulders were moving up and down as he sobbed into the ground, curled up tight. "This is no beast. He's a child!"

"Don't get too close, milady! He's dangerous!"

"Yes, it could be a trick."

She wouldn't hear of it and bent down beside Naruto, placing a hand gently on his back. "What's your name?"

He borrowed deeper into himself. "Just go away."

"Please tell me your name. I want to help you."

He sniffled. "It's Naruto."

"Naruto, is it? Pleased to meet you. I am the healer in this village. My name is Vena."

He sniffled.

She looked over his body. She looked at his tail, his ears and his paws. "Naruto. Are you cursed?"

He nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Please come with me to my home. I know this curse. I can help you."

Naruto lifted his head. His face wasn't human anymore. His nose and jaw had elongated. He had a snout and a cold wet nose, which may have been from crying. "You know the curse? You can help me?"

If this woman was telling the truth, it meant Naruto could change back and no longer be dangerous. This was the hope he was looking for.

Naruto followed her back to her house, which was a small wooden house at the end of a street. The front yard was filled with flowers and there was a stone walkway leading up to the door. The inside of her home was so clean, Naruto felt ashamed to walk in with his dirty paws. Actually, just being inside made him uncomfortable, much preferring the outdoors. He forced himself to enter, hoping it would help him remain human for a while longer so he could hear what she had to say.

He sat down at a wooden table and she served him something warm to drink. Thinking it was a magic potion that had the cure he was looking for, he gulped it down quickly. Then she told him it was just tea and there was nothing magical about it.

"So... Vena." Naruto wasn't sure how to put it. "How do you know about the curse?"

"My mother told me about it. Rest her soul. She taught me a lot."

Naruto's ears twitched. "Was your mom Anamary?"

"No."

His heart sank.

"That was my grandmother's name."

Naruto's heart practically leapt out of his chest. A descendant. He was on his feet with excitement. "It's your grandmother?! So you're a member of the Susumu clan?"

"Well, my grandmother was. My mother married someone else and took their name and I never married. So I suppose you could say..."

"Never mind that! You can fix this, right? You know what cursed us in the first place? Please take it back! Get rid of this curse! I don't want it! Please!" Naruto had to convince her that he could not stand having this curse for one more second. "Please! I don't want to hurt my friends. Please change me back."

"I cannot cure you."

"Please! Please! I'm begging you!"

Vena put her hand on his head and forced him to sit back down. "I cannot cure you because I have no cure."

Naruto fell back into his seat, his heart sinking again. "So... there's no cure?" What an overwhelming feeling of despair. There was no way out of this. He was doomed to live this way forever. Maybe if he chained himself up he wouldn't hurt anyone. That was no way to live either.

"There is a cure. But I don't have it. There is one, however."

Naruto lifted his head again. He wanted to tell her to stop toying with his emotions but he decided that could wait until later. "There is a cure, though? Right? What is it? Where can I get it?"

Vena pointed to her chest. "You have to cure yourself. That's how the curse works."

"Huh?"

"You brought the curse on yourself so only you can take it away."

Naruto wasn't sure what that meant at all. He slid onto the table, pouting. "I don't even know how I got this curse in the first place."

Vena sat across from him at the table. "Well, my mother told me the story about her mother, Anamary. About the night she left her land for a new home."

"Oh, yeah. About her husband dying and everyone getting mad at each other." Naruto nodded into the wood. "I heard it from that Susumu guy. What's-his-name?"

"That's what sparked the curse in the first place. They say when someone's emotions become too great, strange and powerful things can happen. Simply by wishing something hard enough, it can change fate and have it come true."

"So what does that have to do with the curse? I'm not part of the clan so why did Shikamaru and I get it?"

Vena explained. "According to what my mother told me... Anamary was so upset with the merged clans that her emotions brought on the curse after she left. Perhaps after she died her spirit possessed the land and made the curse. Maybe it was something else. Anyway... what had her so upset that night was how everyone was blaming each other for what had transpired and no one took fault. She wanted the people of the two clans to not only own up to what they've done but to not put blame on others. Mostly, to say what they truly believe in their hearts."

Naruto lifted his head off the table. "Hm..." He still didn't fully grasp what that all meant. "So... you get the curse by lying? If that's true, then I get why we changed. Because we pretended not to be ninja and did their game or whatever it was and broke the rules. But if that's the case then why isn't the guy who lives there an animal? He was the one who lied in the first place when he hired us. I don't get it. Does it only work on outsiders?"

"It's not so much lying as putting blame on others and not admitting to one's faults. It's in your heart. What you truly know. What you feel, what you think. That's how I see it," said Vena. "If you do that on the land, you become cursed by turning into beasts. That's what my grandmother compared them to the night she left. She went to another village, had my mother, and years later moved to a new village. When my grandmother died, my mother moved to yet another and got married. Eventually, this became my village. We moved a bit. However, the curse always seemed to occur on that land where her husband was killed and nowhere else."

Naruto was still trying to make sense of the curse and why it happened in the first place. "Ok... So... Um... So, it's... It has to do with blame? Not admitting to your faults?"

"For the most part. It only effects the ones who did that. No one else is effected unless they did it, too."

Naruto tried to think. "Fault... blame... Fault and blame... Hmm..."

He remembered what Shikamaru had been yelling at him when they left the village after failing the mission. He blamed Naruto for failing. He said it was all his fault that they failed.

"Then I said it wasn't my fault and that I didn't do anything." Naruto gasped. "I did this. It is my fault."

"Did you figure it out?" Vena asked.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. I think I did. I didn't take responsibility for our mission and said it wasn't my fault. That did it. Didn't it?"

Vena didn't say anything. Maybe there was nothing for her to say. Or maybe it was because even she did not know all the details of the curse or the exact reason for it.

"How do we fix it?"

"You have to admit to the one you either wronged or had that spat with and make amends. You have to admit to each other the truth. If you wronged someone then both will be cursed. You have to go to each other and admit the truth and take fault where it's due. That's all I can tell you."

Naruto nodded, feeling very relieved. There was a way out of this. It could all be fixed. "Great. Now I just have to find Shikamaru and make amends with him and everything will be fine."

"Oh." Vena snapped her fingers, remembering something. "I almost forgot. The curse becomes permanent after a week. Then you're stuck this way forever with no chance of changing back."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "What?!"

"Yes. After that you become an animal forever. Mind and body. You won't be yourselves anymore. The curse works slowly. You may have noticed lapses and blanks in your memory. Those times you cannot remember are all the things you will become and do once the week is up."

Which meant he was going to try to attack Shikamaru again. He would try to hurt people and no longer be able to stop himself. He won't be Naruto anymore but a beast.

"I've... I mean, we've been animals for six days."

Vena jumped out of her seat. "You only have until sunrise on the seventh day to reverse the curse. Dawn is in less than an hour! You must find your friend now! You have until sunrise to do it! Today!"

Naruto was screaming his head off. "I have less than an hour?! I have to find Shikamaru!"

Vena opened the door for him and Naruto ran past her as fast as he could. "You both have to make amends or it won't work! Both of you! Or you're both stuck forever!" she called after him.

Naruto's feet couldn't keep up with his will. He kept stumbling and falling. He could only run if he was on all fours. He looked down at his hands. His thumbs had become tiny stubs and were in a different location, higher up his arm. He had paws for hands now, too, complete with fur. His body was changing even faster. Before it was more spread out with minor changes. Since this was the final day, it seemed his body had sped up the changes. He didn't have much time left.

"Shikamaru! Where are you? Shikamaru, please answer me!"

His chest was hurting and not from the running but from guilt. If he hadn't bitten him, Shikamaru wouldn't have run off. He shouldn't have frightened him off like that. He knew how timid he was now.

Where could he be? He knew he wasn't going to be in the village. He prayed Shikamaru wasn't still running. He hoped Shikamaru wouldn't run when he saw him. This was their last chance.

"Shikamaru! Please, come out! Shikamaru! Shikamaru, I need to talk to you! Please, Shikamaru!"

He went off the trail and into the woods, calling his name as loud as he could.

"I promise I won't hurt you! Please!"

Yeah, right. He couldn't keep that promise. Not the way he was now.

"Please, Shikamaru!"

He moved swiftly between the trees and over rocks and across tiny streams to the next bank. He moved through the grass quickly, the green blades slapping his face, as if to torment him.

"Shikamaru! Where are you?!"

The forest didn't answer back, mocking him with its silence. Mocking the boy who drove away his friend.

"Please!" Naruto gasped for breath. He didn't know how long he had been searching but his legs were tired and he found it hard to catch his breath. "Please... Shikamaru..." He forced himself to go on.

This was their last chance. Their only chance. If he couldn't find Shikamaru before sunrise then it was all over and they were stuck this way forever.

Naruto couldn't catch his breath and his head was spinning. He felt sick. The soles of his feet ached. He was sweating and his throat felt so dry. "Shika... maru..." His breathing was hoarse and ragged. His head was buzzing and he felt dizzy.

He couldn't rest. He had to find him. That was the only thing on his mind. He could rest after he was cured.

His legs were numb. He forced them to carry him just a little further.

The night had become eerily quiet. The birds had fallen silent. No insects were buzzing, either. The trees were still, staring at him wordlessly. Naruto's appeals had gone unheard. He had driven Shikamaru away. It was only just that his punishment be that he not find him before the day began.

"At least... let him be cured. He didn't do anything wrong. I did." Naruto climbed up the hill, still trying to breathe. "Punish me. Not him. I did this. So please... Let me find him for his sake. Please."

When he reached the top of the hill, there was nothing. Not a single animal. He made his way over the hill, slowly, his legs about to give out. Then he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Something at the bottom of the hill to his right.

A deer grazing completely alone. A six pronged buck.

Naruto was so happy. He made it in time. He finally found him. "Shikamaru..!" he breathed. He slid down the hill and over to him slowly. "Shikamaru."

He didn't look up.

"I'm so sorry about what had happened before. I didn't mean it. But there's good news. Great news, actually. I know how we can fix this. I know how to lift the curse on us both."

Shikamaru must not have believed him because he continued to graze, keeping his head down.

"Remember our mission? The one that we failed? We got cursed because we blamed each other and I didn't take fault and I was stubborn. So we just have to apologize and everything will be fine. We have to make amends. But we have to do it before sunrise or we're stuck like this. And we both had to do it. We have to be honest with each other."

Shikamaru lifted his head, looking at him.

"I'll go first." Naruto sat down in front of him. "Shikamaru, you were right. You were right all along. It was my fault we failed. I shouldn't have broken the rules. I cost us the mission. I should have listened to you."

Shikamaru stared at him without a word. Then he lowered his head and went back to grazing.

Naruto frowned. "Shikamaru, you're supposed to say something back to me. Please, hurry. You've got to hurry. Sunrise is any second now. Please."

He ate, nibbling the grass, saying nothing.

"Shikamaru, please! Otherwise, we're both stuck like this forever. Please!"

Shikamaru grazed without looking up.

Naruto's heart started pounding. Could this have been a regular deer? Was he talking to the wrong one? No, that was impossible. This one had a bite mark on its neck where Naruto had bitten him earlier. This was Shikamaru.

Then why wasn't he saying anything? Even if he held a grudge, this was hardly the time or place to do it. Shikamaru was smart enough to know that.

"Shikamaru?" Naruto came closer and looked into his eyes.

Shikamaru's eyes had become dull and simple. His irises had expanded so much his entire eye was now brown. Naruto knew this look. This is how his eyes became when he slipped into his animal state. Shikamaru was an animal on the inside as well.

Which meant he didn't know what Naruto was saying and didn't understand anything that was happening. Naruto had wasted his words.

"Shikamaru?" Naruto moved closer, pleading with him. "Shikamaru, say something, please!"

It was no use. Shikamaru had the mind of a deer. The one Naruto needed was gone.

This wasn't Shikamaru. It was a deer.

* * *

Oh, no. Is this the end for them?

Please review!


	19. Forever

**Chapter 19: Forever**

A deer. He had been talking to a deer. This wasn't Shikamaru anymore. He was a mindless animal now. He could no longer recall ever being human. His words, even if he understood what was said, didn't make any sense to him now. If he couldn't recall being human then he also couldn't recall Naruto or anything they ever did. Anything they had done wrong or right. Anything that needed to be said to lift the curse.

"Shikamaru." Naruto tried to get him to think. He had to get the real Shikamaru's attention. "Please, Shikamaru. Please come back. It's me. Please."

It was no use. Shikamaru paid him no mind while he ate. He only glanced up once in a while to look at him blankly then went back to grazing.

Naruto sat in the grass feeling so helpless.

Birds began to chip, signaling dawn's arrival. They were too late.

"Shikamaru..." This was it. He would never again get to speak with his friend. He may even try to kill him now. He had to get away from him but something was holding him back. It was the thought of this being the last time they would ever speak to each other. Soon it would be nothing but growls and bellows. They wouldn't understand anything in the human tongue anymore. Or remember being human.

Naruto had to say something while he still remembered his friend. Some parting words.

"Shikamaru... I'm so sorry. For what it's worth now, I'm so, so sorry. If I hadn't lost it and attacked you, you wouldn't have gotten scared and run off. It's my fault. It's all my fault." Naruto hung his head and tears started to form in his eyes. "I promised you I wouldn't leave you again but I did. I did leave you. And when I did... I hurt you. You're my friend. I never want to hurt you. I'm so sorry for that. I'm sorry for everything."

If only he hadn't lost it and bitten him. He lost himself and because of that...

"I'm so sorry, Shikamaru," he said tearfully. "I should have just listened to you in the first place. I couldn't keep my promise. I should have tried harder. I should have listened to you then and I should have listened to you on the mission. I'm sorry. I truly am."

Naruto's headband slipped off his head and fell to the ground at his feet. His skull had changed shape and could no longer support it. It didn't matter anymore. He wasn't a ninja. Not anymore.

"I should have listened to you. You were right. I did disobey on purpose. I thought I was doing the right thing in saving that girl. I should have done what you said. I shouldn't have made you come with me and left the others. I never think. I just act. I made the wrong call. You were right and I was wrong. I'm sorry." Naruto's tears fell to the grass. "You're my friend and I owe it to you. I should have trusted you and knew you had everything under control. You're my friend and I don't want to lose you. I don't want to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you! Shikamaru, I'm so, so very sorry! I'm sorry for everything."

All this time, he thought he had things under control. He thought he was making the right choices. Maybe it was all a part of the curse. The call of the wild was luring him away from humans and everything they had to offer. To make him long to be away from them and living in the wild. To make him desire life among the trees and grass. To make him feel more natural there and trap him. Trap him in surroundings that would increase his beastliness. It all made sense. When he lived in nature, he became more animal-like. All along, it had been luring him away, making it easier for the curse to take its effect. Giving him desires that would cause him to leave everyone behind and become a beast.

He had been with Shikamaru all this time, but he was so far away from him as well. Even when he was right beside him, he was far away, lost in the curse. That was why he attacked. He was too far gone. Even now, when he looked at Shikamaru, he knew just how far away he was. He wasn't here anymore and soon neither will he.

"I'm sorry, Shikamaru. I'm sorry."

A new feeling came over him. It was hard to think. He couldn't remember why he was here or what he had been saying. When he looked at Shikamaru, all he saw was a deer. The feeling grew stronger and darker. It was something terrible and strange. A feeling that filled him and obscured his fondness and any memory of his friend. There was some recollection but nothing more than that. He felt different. Like he was slipping away. This feeling was very different from his lapses. It was like being pulled into his own body. Into a deep dark ocean he was drowning in, losing himself completely while something else took over. Something that felt alien yet familiar and comfortable at the same time.

Something natural and beastly.

And just like that, Naruto slipped away and was gone.

Shikamaru lifted his head and swallowed the grass in his mouth. Another lapse. He couldn't remember anything for he didn't know how long. It must have been several minutes. His nose twitched, catching a familiar scent. He caught of a glimpse of the fox before him, headband at its feet, and his heart sank.

"N... Naruto..?"

The fox lifted its head, its yellow eyes gleaming dangerously at him. The fox opened its mouth and made several soft huffs and barks, unable to speak human language. It wasn't human. Not anymore.

Shikamaru felt sick. Naruto had changed into a full fox. He couldn't even understand what he was saying. He looked nothing like the boy he knew. If it weren't for the headband decorated with the village's symbol, he would have assumed it was a normal fox from the wild. This was Naruto? This is what had become of his friend? He felt as if cold insects had slipped under his skin and were crawling up his back, biting his nerve endings.

Timidly, Shikamaru's head turned to examine his surroundings. They were in the woods again, surrounded by trees and grass. They were no longer in the village. That was the last place Shikamaru remembered being. Now he was here. How long had he been in that lapse? How long had it been? The sun was rising, so it must have been morning. They arrived at the village at night. Had his lapse lasted hours rather than a few minutes? How long had he been a deer? Long enough for Naruto to change completely into a fox.

"Naruto. Naruto, it's me. Shikamaru."

Naruto was on his feet, tail wagging from side to side. At first, Shikamaru took this as a promising sign. Then Naruto began to rotate his ears and sniff. He wasn't acting like himself. The yellow eyes told Shikamaru that this was no longer Naruto.

The crawling sensation grew worse. So much so that he wanted to retch. He had suffered a lapse at the worst time. He should have been there to help him. Maybe he could have done something. Naruto's transformation seemed slower when he was with Shikamaru. Maybe he was the one keeping him rooted, slowing the process. Shikamaru felt a similar way about himself. As long as they were together, the process seemed to slow. They knew who they were. They remembered. Their lapses weren't as long.

And one day, they never came back.

Shikamaru remembered the words of the Susumu clan. After a certain amount of time, the victims of the curse lost themselves completely and never came back. They became animals permanently.

Now Naruto was going to be a fox forever. He was just like the crocodiles.

And it was all his fault. Shikamaru couldn't shake the feeling that it was because of him. And now that Naruto was like this, he couldn't make amends for anything he had ever done. He could never give Naruto parting words. He could never take back any of the things he had ever said. Naruto was going to remain a fox without ever knowing how Shikamaru truly felt. Without hearing his apology. He was going to stay this way, thinking it was all because of him that they were cursed. Only, because of the curse, he couldn't remember even that. Still, it was something Shikamaru would have wanted him to know. There was so much he wanted to say.

"Naruto... I'm sorry."

He had to say it, even if Naruto didn't know what was being said.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I shouldn't have left you alone like that. I ran off after promising myself that I wouldn't do that. I promised I would suppress the animal instincts and I couldn't do it. Not even when you needed me most. I'm so sorry I left you. And you were the one who promised me you wouldn't leave. All along... I was the one who shouldn't have left you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I did that."

Naruto sniffed him, coming closer.

"I put too much pressure on you, too. I'm always telling you what you need to do and don't realize what I need to do. This was one of those times. It should have been both of us, not just you. We shouldn't have left each other, not you alone who shouldn't have left me. And this whole mess with our animal selves is my fault. I'm the one who wanted to give in and put the idea in your head. I shouldn't have tempted you. I should have remained focused and tried to keep us going down the same path and not astray. I was being selfish. And lazy, too. I didn't want to fight it anymore and just give in and let it happen. I should have fought it. I'm sorry I didn't try harder. I just couldn't be bothered to try. Too lazy to fight it. I shouldn't have given in."

Naruto came closer, drawn to the blood on Shikamaru's neck. He sniffed at the wound and started to show his teeth.

"I was selfish, Naruto. I was too lazy to be bothered. I wasn't being fair. I did nothing but complain this whole time. Animal or not, there's no excuse. I'm sorry for all that."

Naruto started growling and took a snap at Shikamaru's leg, trying to bite him again. He was hungry and wanted to eat Shikamaru. Shikamaru knew this, but had to finish.

"And, Naruto... It wasn't your fault. It wasn't because of you we failed the mission. I was just angry and said those things. I knew it all along, but I couldn't say it. You were right. You were right to break the rules in order to save that woman. A person's life is more important than some stupid competition. You made the right call. It wasn't your fault. You did the right thing."

Snarling, Naruto leapt at Shikamaru again, snapping at his legs. Shikamaru kept moving, so Naruto couldn't catch him.

"I just wish I told you that before all this. You need to know it. I wanted you to hear it but I was too late." Shikamaru sniffled. "I waited too long. And I'm sorry. I wish you knew just how sorry I am."

He felt so guilty. He pinned too many things on Naruto, many of which weren't his fault. Many they both shared blame. Mostly, he was upset he hadn't told any of this to Naruto while he was still part human. Too many things left unsaid.

There were so many things he would miss now that the curse was complete. He would never see his home again. He would never see Choji again. They had some really good times together. He truly would miss him. He would even miss his parents. He never thought he would want to hear his mother's nagging voice one more time. Mostly, he wanted to return home just to tell her he was the deer she chased out of the house just to see the look on her face. He would miss his father, too. There was so much he still wanted to do with him. He regretted not having more father/son time with him. Not because of the missions, but because of his sheer laziness. He had always accused Ino of being selfish but he was no better! Now he saw it for himself. He realized just how much he was going to miss out on by becoming a deer.

Honestly, he wasn't sure if forgetting that he was ever human in the first place made him feel better or worse about all this. He wouldn't remember why this would be upsetting and may not even be upset.

He was so caught up with the freedom that he didn't realize just how bad this situation was. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life as a deer. He wanted to see his parents again, he wanted to see his teammates again and his friends. He wanted to see his village and his house and his favorite places within those safe walls. He wanted to be a ninja again. He wanted to speak his mind and make his wants known. He didn't want to be a deer. He didn't want to be hunted. He didn't want to be eaten.

Judging from the look on Naruto's face, that was just about to happen.

Shikamaru was in tears. In tears over his loses, his regrets and now the realization that he was about to be devoured by one of his friends. A friend who no longer remembered him or their lives. The one who was always protecting him.

"Maybe I deserve to get eaten by you. Either I've done too much of something or too little. I didn't make the right call during that mission and you did. I blamed you and shamed you and so much else. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm sorry! From the bottom of my heart, I am. I just wish you knew it before all this happened. This is all my fault. It wasn't yours, Naruto. It's mine. I did this. If I hadn't gotten so mad at you and said the things that I did maybe none of this would have happened."

Naruto came closer, showing his teeth. He was going to kill him. He was going to eat Shikamaru.

Shikamaru stopped moving out of his path and stood his ground. No more running. "I've made so many bad choices during these past few days. You made a lot of good ones. I wasn't fair to you. I didn't get to tell you these things. And I'm sorry for that. More than you will ever know." He sat on the ground in surrender.

Seeing his chance, Naruto lowered his body, preparing to spring. He took a running start and jumped, mouth agape. Shikamaru shut his eyes tight.

At least he was going to die as a human than an animal.

He felt Naruto's paws on his shoulders and Naruto's hot breath on his neck. His breath quivered, knowing he was going to die. Shikamaru squeezed his eyes tighter and waited for death as the sun crept over the top of the trees at the bottom of the hill.

He wondered what it would be like. He hoped dying wasn't too painful. He hoped it would be quick. He hoped Naruto would finish him off in one bite, tearing into his flesh and making him black out so he wouldn't have to suffer. At least Naruto would live for a little while longer haven eaten him. At least he wouldn't starve. He knew Naruto was a good hunter. He had improved a lot. He would survive. He would get to live until he died of old age or get himself caught in a hunter's trap.

Even if Naruto didn't recognize him or know who he was, Shikamaru was glad he would get to live. He hoped he would be happy living as a fox. At least until he was put down. Shikamaru was glad he wouldn't have to be the one to do it. Naruto would kill him before he had to kill Naruto.

Shikamaru waited in the dark for death to come. Let it happen now while he still knew who he was and what was happening. He squeezed more tears through his closed eyes, terrified and more miserable than he had ever been in his life.

"... Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru gasped. That was Naruto's voice. Had he returned to his senses? Or was his mind playing tricks on him? He pulled back to take a look, opening his eyes wide.

Naruto was sitting in front of him on his knees. And fur free. He was looking at Naruto, the human Naruto. The Naruto he was used to seeing and missed so much. He was dirty and missing his headband but otherwise he was just as he remembered him. No furry ears or fangs or claws. Not even a tail. His tail was missing.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru was in shock. "Is that really..?"

Naruto was staring at him in shock, too. His open mouth started to curve upward into a smile.

Shikamaru looked down. His hooves were gone, replaced by his human hands. He had hands! He reached up and felt the top of his head. No antlers. He felt his face and his chest and his stomach. He was wearing his clothes. The same ones he was wearing when he went to bed after feeling so sick. It was as if it never happened.

But he knew better. He remembered everything they had been through, everything he felt. It was real.

And so was this.

Shikamaru and Naruto looked at each other. Their faces broke into matching open-mouthed smiles and gasped, realizing what this meant.

"I'm human!"

"We're human!"

"I'm me again! I'm back!"

"Yes! We're human again! Both of us!"

"I'm not a deer!"

"Me, too! You know what I mean!"

Overjoyed, Shikamaru dove at Naruto and embraced him. Naruto hugged him back as they both toppled over and rolled in the grass, laughing tearfully. Shikamaru was so relieved he was shedding tears of joy. He had his life back. He wasn't going to spend the rest of his life as a deer and he wasn't going to get eaten. They could go back to their human lives with their human memories, knowing who they really were.

They broke apart and flopped in the grass, still laughing.

"We're normal!" Shikamaru shouted to the ceiling of trees overhead.

"Mostly!" Naruto joined him, calling out to the sky.

Shikamaru picked up a handful of grass and threw it at Naruto's face but the grass never made it that far and fluttered to the ground like green confetti. "You know what I mean. Back to our weird selves takes longer to say. It's troublesome."

They were truly back.

They lay in the grass, panting. It felt good. It felt good to be alive and lay just like this side by side. Being in human company.

No. The company of a friend.

Shikamaru turned his head and smiled at Naruto. Naruto was still looking up at the trees, sprawled out where he lay beside his friend. Between them lay Naruto's fallen headband bearing the symbol of their home. A home they could now return to. Knowing that brought Shikamaru such comfort.

His smile deepened as he watched Naruto's chest heave up and down with every breath. Naruto never did give up. Not on a mission, not on a friend, not on anything he wanted. Naruto was strong in more ways than one. He managed to hold on no matter what. He was always there. Even now he was still here by Shikamaru's side.

Now Shikamaru could say with pride that he wanted to do the same. They managed to go into this mess as two friends who were angry with each other and managed to come out of it and still be friends.

"Naruto."

"Yeah?"

"Next time we're mad at each other, could you come up with a less troublesome way of making up?"

Naruto laughed. "Why? This was pretty fun, wasn't it?"

Shikamaru grinned. "Yeah. Actually. It was kind of fun."

No matter how annoying he was, no matter how foolish he acted or how many times he ignored orders and did his own thing, Shikamaru would still be proud to call him a friend. Naruto was always going to be Naruto. And they were going to always be friends. Forever.

* * *

Doesn't this chapter just make you cry then smile?

There's one chapter left. Maybe we'll find out more details about this vague curse.

Please review! ^-^


	20. Regaling

**Chapter 20: Regaling **

After soaking in the joyous reality after the curse was lifted, Naruto and Shikamaru had to decide what to do then. They both decided to return to the village where the descendant lived and give her the happy news. She was very pleased and happy for them. They didn't stay long. Now that Shikamaru's brilliant mind was working again, he realized that they had to find Sakura and the rest of the team. He had a feeling they were looking for them and most likely had been all this time. He knew they must have been close since they found Shino in the woods only the other day. They left soon after and went back on the road to check. Shikamaru mapped out where Shino's group would most likely be at this point and sure enough he was correct.

"How the hell did you do that?" Naruto asked him when he saw the group coming toward them from up the road.

"Simple calculations on where their position may be coupled with the gut feeling I had about Shino using his bugs to follow after us. I knew they would be keeping an eye on us somehow since running into us the other day couldn't have been an accident."

Sakura was leading the group, carrying Naruto's backpack and his shoes. Naruto ran to her, thinking she was going to give him a huge embrace after seeing him in human flesh. The first thing she did was drop his shoes in the road. Then, using her now free hand, punched him hard in the face. Shikamaru ducked as Naruto went sailing over his head and into a tree.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again! You hear me?!"

Naruto clung to the branch he was dangling from. "Me? What did I do?"

"You ran off in the middle of the night and leave us wondering where the hell you went and then you do more crazy stuff and get all feral..!"

"But I'm ok now! See? I'm human again. See, Sakura? See? All better!"

Sakura dropped her arms as well as her anger. "Yeah. Yeah, you are." Now she was all smiles.

Shikamaru watched Ino march over to him and he frowned. "You're not going to punch me, are you?" he moaned.

Instead, Ino put her arms around him and whispered in his ear. "I'm just glad you're back."

* * *

Explanations were made, of course. The whole group wanted to know how this happened and what they did to get cured. They explained everything on the long way back to the village. It was a very long story, indeed. In fact, it was celebration worthy.

As soon as they made it back to the village, they decided to throw a party. It was mostly Naruto's idea but the others were happy to go along with it. Shikamaru agreed only on the condition that he not be part of the planning and didn't have to pick up the check. The party was held at Choji's favorite barbeque place. The restaurant had enough room to hold all their friends. Everyone was invited. They got the biggest booth they could get and ordered more food than they knew what to do with. Everyone was having a great time.

"So let me get this straight," said Kiba, pointing his chopsticks at the two men of the hour. "You two were turned into animals? Just like that?"

"Yup!" Naruto declared as if proud of the fact.

"How? Some sort of magic spell or something? Did a witch curse you? I don't really get how this happened."

"It's really cool." Naruto was happy to tell the story again. "See, when we went on our mission, Shikamaru got pissed at me because I made us fail the mission. I got mad at him for blaming me and because I didn't think I did anything wrong. Next thing we knew, we were animals. Neat, huh?"

"Yeah, you told us that part. But why were you animals? Just because you two got pissed at each other?"

"According to the lady at the last village, her grandmother was so upset that when she died, her anger or strong feelings or whatever it was seeped into the land where the first village was so now when people get pissed like we did, they get turned into animals. Or something like that."

Kiba still wasn't satisfied with that answer. "It still doesn't make much sense."

Shikamaru took over from there. "I was away when she explained it to Naruto the first time. When I showed up after we changed back, she gave me the summary. She said even she wasn't sure what exactly the curse is about. From what we can make of it, it has to deal with people not owning up to the truth and fixing the blame on other people and getting really angry at each other."

"Then how come more people aren't animals?" asked Tenten. "If that's all it is, then wouldn't this curse be effecting a lot more people? Not everything can be happy there. I'm sure people get mad at each other and blame them from time to time."

"I think it's a lot more than that. It effected a couple of people before us. They turned into crocodiles and didn't make up in time to change back so now they're stuck that way."

"Yeah," added Naruto. "We even stopped by their village on the way back to tell them that. They had a feeling that would be the case, but they were happy for the information anyway."

"Maybe it only happens during the competitions," said Lee.

"Yeah, isn't that when the first guys changed?" asked Tenten.

"I guess. It's possible. No one really knows." Shikamaru looked at his plate. "I was so pissed off at Naruto and told him we only failed because of him. I said it was all his fault, but deep down I knew that was a lie. I was just speaking out of anger. I knew he made the right call when I looked back on it. So maybe it has to do with putting blame on someone else even when you know they truly aren't at fault."

"So how did you guys change back?" asked Choji.

Naruto grinned. "I told Shikamaru that I was sorry and that I should have listened to him. After that I blacked out. We both had to make amends before the sun rose or we would both stay that way forever."

"At the time, I was in full deer mode. I didn't know what was going on. Then I came back to my senses but then Naruto was the one who lost his mind and became a fox mentally. I felt so bad about everything that I told him how sorry I was and then we both changed back."

"How did you know to do that if you weren't around to know how to change back?" asked Kiba.

"I didn't." Shikamaru shrugged. "I just felt like it was the right thing for me to do if we weren't going to be ourselves anymore. Besides, I really thought I was gonna die at that point. Naruto was coming for me and I didn't think he would stop himself in time. I just wanted him to know before I died."

"Maybe you guys only changed back because you both meant what you said and weren't just saying it to get cured. It came from the heart," said Ino.

"Maybe..."

Kiba tossed a slab of meat to Akamaru and then asked something else that was on his mind. "If Sai was with you, why didn't he get cursed, too?"

"Because he didn't get into a fight. He didn't say anything or get pissed off at anybody."

Sai grinned. "I thought it would be best to remove myself from the situation before it escalated. It's called being passive-aggressive. I learned that from a book as well. It seems to have paid off. I didn't receive the curse."

"Yeah, lucky you."

"Alright, alright." Kiba wasn't done. "So if this lady is the one who made the curse... how does that work?"

"It's like Shikamaru said," Choji explained. "Once she died, her strong feelings left a curse on the land. I've heard the same thing happening in ghost stories. After someone dies, they leave something behind, like a spirit to haunt the land or a curse. It's creepy stuff."

"And check the time line. It all works out. The woman died and after that, people started getting cursed. Like those two crocodile men and these two morons."

"Thank you, Ino."

Kiba rubbed his forehead. "Ugh, this is so confusing. So all this stuff you know is just hearsay? No one actually knows what exactly the curse is and how and why it effects certain people? That's lame."

"Not everything can be a straight answer."

"Here's another question for you." Kiba pointed at Shikamaru. "You're supposed to be a genius. Couldn't you have figured out all this stuff? And couldn't you have known wandering off on your own was a dumb idea?"

"My mind was shot!" Shikamaru half laughed. Now he could look back on all this and laugh. "I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I couldn't think straight. If I had, things wouldn't have gotten as bad as they did. Most of the time, I just followed my animal instincts wherever they took me. Sometimes I realized that I wasn't thinking clearly but didn't know what was wrong or what the right thing would have been. It's like knowing you forgot something but can't remember what it is you forgot. It's troublesome. A total pain."

"So you didn't know what was going on?"

"Not so much that as much as not having a concept... It's like... I didn't know if we were making the right choice for a lot of things that we did. I wanted to separate from the group because I thought it would get us to where we needed to be faster, but then I thought that maybe it wasn't the right choice. I wasn't sure why. Most of the time, I was wondering if I was making these choices based off of human thoughts and logic, or animal. It's really hard to explain."

Neji scoffed. "And of course leave it to Naruto to actually enjoy it. So simple-minded."

"Yeah," Naruto said from across the table. "I guess I should have been more freaked out than I was. Maybe it was because of my training. Maybe I was already starting to change on the inside. Maybe it was the curse that was making me not freak out the way I should have." Then he smiled. "Although... part of me kind of figured I would change back. Like it wasn't going to last and wasn't a big deal. Like getting paint on your hands."

"I'm actually more surprised that Shikamaru got so upset with you in the first place," said Tenten. "I always figured holding grudges would be too troublesome for the guy. Staying mad longer than ten seconds would be hard for a guy like you."

Shikamaru lowered his head. "Actually... I agree with you. I can't believe I got so upset the way that I did. But..."

"But..?" she pried. "Go on."

He sighed heavily. "Well... to be honest... I think the reason I stayed as angry as long as I did was a combination of a lot of things I had been through. First Naruto insisting that he hadn't done anything. Then breaking the rules with that over-used jutsu of his after everything that was said. Then the lecture that man gave me afterword."

"The one who employed you?" asked Hinata. "What did he say?"

Shikamaru was reluctant to say. Maybe he was embarrassed. "A lot of what he said I can't repeat. Basically he said that I was a poor leader who didn't know what he was doing. He called me a worthless moron who made poor choices and one day it would end up costing a lot more than it did that day. He said I could end up leading my friends to their deaths. That I made bad calls and..." He couldn't go on.

"But it was Naruto who did that. It wasn't your fault," said Ino.

"But because I was the leader, everything my teammates do is a reflection of myself. Whatever they do I have to take blame for." Shikamaru sighed again. "That got me pretty upset. But it the other part that sent me over the edge, I think. The part about getting people killed."

"Why?"

Shikamaru played with his empty cup before answering. When he did, his explanation was quiet and slow. "Because a couple years ago, I led a team to go after Sasuke. Two of my close friends almost died that day."

Neji and Choji were quiet and tense. Kiba gave Akamaru a soft pat on the back, being very quiet.

"We failed that mission. After that, I promised myself that I wouldn't lose another mission. Then we failed this one. That alone had me upset because I couldn't hold up my promise. Then him telling me that I would end up getting people killed... It really got to me."

Had Shikamaru been holding onto this all these years? Did he blame himself for their failure? Did he think they almost died because of him?

That scarred man must have triggered something in Shikamaru which was why he became as angry as he did and didn't calm down for a while. He must have been holding in so much.

"Bottling things up isn't good, Shikamaru," said Naruto. "No wonder you flipped out the way that you did. All that pent up stress... It must have exploded when that guy said those things to you."

"Yeah, don't hold on to those feelings, Shikamaru."

"It's not your fault."

"That's right."

"You are a good leader."

"A great one."

"No one has died yet."

All their friends chimed in to reassure him. They all believed in him. It made Shikamaru feel a lot better.

Naruto playfully shoved Shikamaru's shoulder, pushing him into Choji. "The past is the past, right? Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I know." Shikamaru managed a smile. "I think most of it was subconscious. It really wasn't on my mind, but looking back, I think that's why it had the impact that it did."

Choji patted Shikamaru's shoulder. He wanted to remind him that they were all on that mission together. The failure wasn't on any one person. However, he thought it was best to not dwell on it and change the subject. This was supposed to be a time to celebrate, not think about the past and obsess over negative feelings. "Let's not put a damper on this, guys. Shikamaru's not a deer and Naruto can pass for a human being."

"Hey!"

"Come on! There's all this food here. Don't make me eat it all."

Sai grinned. "If you were, you would get really f-"

Sakura clamped her hand over his mouth. "Happy times, guys! Happy time! Eh-heheheh." She hoped Choji didn't notice the forbidden word Sai almost spoke. So far, he did not.

"You know," said Kiba, "I'm sort of surprised at you, Shino. You were pretty useless on this mission, weren't you? Always one step behind these two morons. After all the crap you go on and on about all the time. I figured a ninja would be able to track a couple animals better than that."

Shino kept his head down when he answered. "That was deliberate."

"Say what?"

"I purposely held back the group once Naruto and Shikamaru ran off."

"What?" Sakura looked very upset. "You mean all this time, we could have picked up the pace? But you said to travel slow just in case we came across something important along the way."

"And that was true," he said. "If we hadn't been traveling the way we were, we may not have noticed Naruto's shoes, his backpack or the carcass."

Kiba leaned closer to Shino. "Wait a minute. But I thought you guys had to catch up to them because being around humans was helping them remember they were humans themselves and slow their transformation. Why would you hold back and keep everyone from catching up to them?"

Shino lifted his head. "At first, they were just out of reach and we had no idea where to start and couldn't find them. Then when we reached a point where I knew we could catch up, I started thinking that it may not have been the best idea. Based off of what I observed, the two of them were becoming more wild by the minute. I was worried for my teammates. I wasn't willing to put them at risk. If we ran up to them, Naruto and Shikamaru may have not had the best reaction."

"So..." said Ino. "You were holding us back to protect us?"

"Yes. I didn't think it was worth the risk. When we were close enough, I wanted to test my theory to see if they could be approached, so I sent out my clone to meet them. Naruto attacked with the intent to kill. I knew at that point that there was no point in catching up to them. If he could do that to me when I posed no threat, how would he react to the others? I was afraid Naruto might end up killing someone without meaning to."

"But if you guys caught up to them, you could re-domesticate them. Couldn't you?" asked Kiba. "Just being around humans could have a good effect on them, couldn't it?"

Shino shook his head. "No. What I feared was that once they began their decent, there was no coming back from it. Being around humans upset them. I approached by myself and it was enough to provoke Naruto. If we rejoined the group together, it wasn't going to end well. That would be a crowd. Animals may approach one human, but any more than that would be intimidating. I wasn't going to risk it. It's like an autumn leaf falling from a tree. Once it falls, there's no putting it back on. I wasn't going to take the risk and put them in danger. That's why I held us back, always staying one step behind them. Just close enough to follow without being spotted."

Naruto chuckled nervously. "Yeah, sorry about that. The way I was, maybe you were right to do that. I didn't know that was a clone. If that was the real you, I might have killed you. Sorry, Shino."

Shino knew what he was doing all along. He was looking out for everyone while carrying out the mission given to him. He was doing what he thought was best. As usual, he was the quiet observer, taking all the steps needed to be successful.

"All things considered," said Shikamaru, "I'm sort of glad I went through this."

"Why?" scoffed Ino. "You had fun eating grass and dirt?"

"No." Shikamaru smiled. "It's about what you said about the apology being heartfelt. I think you're right."

Ino looked puzzled. "Hm?"

"Well, I was sorry. And I know Naruto was. And we did apologize to each other about a bunch of things that had happened. But I think we didn't change back because it wasn't enough. Maybe we had to go through what we did in order to truly understand each other and mean what we said, from the very bottom of our hearts. I think we needed to go through good times and bad and be with each other. Maybe that's why we changed when we did. It wasn't for the sake of being cured, it was more than that. It had to be."

Ino raised her brow. "O... k."

"It's too simple," Shino said in his usual tone.

"What is?" asked Hinata.

"It's as Naruto and Shikamaru said before. Even that woman doesn't know all the details of the curse. No one really does so it's open to interpretation," he said. "Maybe it has to deal with everything that was said. I have my own idea of why you were cursed and how you changed back."

Naruto leaned over the table. "Yeah? What is it, smart guy?"

"In addition to your arguing and not taking fault, I think it also had to deal with something on a more personal level."

Naruto tilted his head. "Can you dumb it down a shade?"

"Put simply, I think it has to do with your views of each other. For one reason or another, you found fault in the other person and that started the fight and brought on the curse. Even if you two made amends on your journey, it wasn't enough. It had to be more personal. Maybe you were cured, not just because of a heartfelt apology, but also because the very thing you fought about was the very thing you didn't want to lose."

"You mean what's so special about the other person?" asked Neji.

"Yes. I think the curse and the cure worked to some degree-"

"In other words, why Shikamaru got so pissed off at Naruto is the same thing Shikamaru would miss about him and wanted back?" Ino interrupted.

"Well, in a nutshell-"

"That's kind of weird. And pretty confusing. You sure that's part of this whole thing?"

Shino lowered his head. "Why do I even bother? No one ever hears me out."

Hinata patted Shino on the shoulder.

Shino lifted his head slightly. "But that was another reason why I didn't want to interfere once those two left the group. What if we made matters worse? I had a feeling whatever caused their curse would be lifted by them. Something told me that they needed to be alone to work things out for themselves. And looking back, I think this may have been a different outcome if we had caught up to them and dragged them back kicking and screaming. Sure, there were issues with leaving them alone, but the benefits were..." Shino sighed. "No one is listening to me. Still."

"At least everything worked out, right, Shino?" Hinata smiled, trying to keep the atmosphere cheerful.

No words could ever explain what Shikamaru felt inside just before the sun rose that morning. The shock of seeing Naruto as a full fox, thirsting for blood. Shikamaru had known Naruto for a good part of his life. He knew who he was and who he wanted to be. He knew there was more to him than the goofball from school who got the entire class in trouble with his pranks and failures. He knew that. What he lacked was an understanding. Shikamaru was never hated by the people in the village and no one ever tried to kill him except for on his missions. Now he knew what it was like to be hunted and have people want him to die. But that was only a fraction of the understanding he got from this ordeal. He also understood how Naruto could remain so optimistic despite all the hardships and could still see the world as a thing of beauty. To never give up no matter how hard life got. To always have hope.

Above all, he truly saw just how far Naruto would go for a friend. Even as they were becoming animals, Naruto was always with him. Even at the very end, Naruto came back for him, not just for the sake of curing himself, but for Shikamaru's as well. He returned for his sake. He protected him and cared about him and managed to cheer him up. Naruto's childish antics and playfulness made it easy to love him.

Shikamaru was so frightened when he thought Naruto would drown. He was so relieved when he found out Naruto was going to live. He went through so many emotions along their journey.

The most surprising of which was when Shikamaru found that he cared more about Naruto than he did himself. When he saw Naruto as a fox, it was a massive shock, not just from the surprise of seeing him in such a state but knowing what it meant. He got to know Naruto and learned more about him and they grew closer. He always knew in his heart what kind of person Naruto was. When he saw Naruto with blood-lust in his eyes, he knew it wasn't him. Shikamaru was pained mostly from having to watch Naruto become that. It wasn't him. He knew Naruto. That wasn't him. For Naruto to be transformed into that caused Shikamaru so much pain he could hardly stand it. He couldn't stand seeing Naruto in such a way. He wanted Naruto to return to normal more than he wanted himself to be human again. He wanted Naruto to remain the decent kind person that he was instead of this violent beast.

Through this whole experience, he learned that he cared more about Naruto remaining who he was than he did about returning to human form. He thought Naruto was more important than himself. He would rather be a deer for the rest of his life than lose what was so precious about Naruto.

Maybe that's what the cure was. In addition to being sorry and confessing the truth, most of all, they had to want it for the other person. Shikamaru wanted Naruto to live and be himself more than he wanted to be human. Naruto must have cared more about Shikamaru than he did himself. Maybe that was what they needed to feel deep inside in order for the curse to be lifted.

In truth, Shikamaru did feel closer to Naruto having gone through everything. Maybe this was good for the both of them. He wondered if Naruto felt the same way.

"Hey, deer-boy!" Naruto held up a stick of celery. "Want some grass?" he snickered.

Then again, maybe Naruto would never change.

Shikamaru certainly hoped so.

* * *

It was another hour before sunset and everyone had gone their separate ways. Naruto was left by himself, but that was by choice. There was something he wanted to do before returning home.

He walked around the village for some time, thinking. Mostly, he was reflecting on what had happened and was happy everything was back to normal. He was happy Shikamaru was human again and that their dispute was over. He was happy that everything had worked out. He had even gotten over nearly killing Shikamaru when he was in that state. He knew it wasn't really him. Although, it did frighten him that something worse could have happened. He never wanted to hurt his friends. It took him a long time to make them, he wasn't about to lose them. The idea frightened him. What sickened him was the thought that he was nearly the cause. It was one thing to lose them to an outside force. It was another to have it done by his own hands. He had to be careful to never let that happen again.

He had this fear before, but that was the most real it had ever been. It was never this close before.

Naruto stopped, reaching his destination. The gates of the Hidden Leaf. He looked up at the towering doors and the walls closing the village off from the outside like a protective embrace. He stepped forward and stood between the gates, looking out into the woods ahead. The world lay just beyond. The road led far off into the horizon and out of sight. The world was so vast and it started here. When he was little, he always dreamed to going down that road. When he got his first mission, he remembered being so excited about leaving. He packed his bag, shined his shoes, took a long bath, set out his clothes and waited. When he was given his assignment, he was all packed and ready to go. He had even brought his bag with him, even though no one else did. The night before he could barely sleep. He was so ready to leave and see what lay on the other side of those walls. He wanted an adventure.

Seeing this familiar starting line brought back so much nostalgia.

Naruto walked forward onto the path. Then, a short distance from the gate, he stopped and turned around.

This was a familiar sight as well. The gates of the Hidden Leaf, open and welcoming him back home. He remembered this feeling as well. After returning from a mission, this was what he always saw. Without fail, the gates were always here to greet him. The feeling of returning home made him feel... He couldn't describe it. It was home. That was enough for him.

How could he ever think of this place as a cage? When he looked at the walls and the gate now, he saw it as a home. A safe place where he could rest, be with his friends and live a good life. He was protected here. He felt safe here. It was his home.

Then again, didn't a cage work both ways? Didn't it keep things from getting out and things for getting in? A cage protected the one inside from the outside world while it kept the world safe from it.

Naruto turned to the side and looked from left to right. There was the village and there was the road. Where did he belong?

He was so happy when he got missions and was excited to go off training with Pervy Sage. He was eager to leave, but at the same time, he was a little frightened to tell the truth. Part of him didn't want to go. He had a great time out in the world and he trained hard, but he longed for his home. He missed this village and everyone in it. As the weeks turned into months, Naruto found himself thinking of home often and wanted to go back. He couldn't wait to return and show off how strong he had become. Then when he finally returned to the village, he found himself wanting to leave again and go on an adventure.

So where did he belong?

Right. Left. Village. Road.

He started walking. He wanted both. He couldn't live without either. But this... This was his home. This was where his heart was calling him back to.

Smiling, Naruto put his hand on the wooden gate and looked into the village. The chatter, the laughter, the footsteps. This was his home. This was where he had friends.

And he wasn't going anywhere without them.

Naruto rested his cheek against the cool hard wood and put his arms around it. He could feel the vibrations of everyone who lived here with him. This village was alive. He belonged here with his friends.

"I missed you," he whispered into the wood. "But I'm home. This is where I belong."

With everyone.

He heard footsteps beside him which suddenly stopped. He felt a shadow at his back. Naruto turned his head slightly to one side to look. There was another familiar face. The face of his sensei was staring back at him with a confused expression on his face.

"Um... Naruto?"

"Yes?"

Iruka looked from Naruto to the gate then back to Naruto. "Are you hugging the wall?"

Naruto looked at the wooden gate pressed between his two arms and face. "... Yes."

Iruka gave an amused chuckle and shook his head. "You're something else, you know that?"

Naruto pried himself away from the gate, feeling a little embarrassed, and smiled at Iruka expectantly. "You think we can go for some ramen?"

"Didn't you just eat? Oh, why not?" Iruka smiled, knowing this was coming. "You practically live there."

Naruto wanted to make a joke about that statement but decided against it. Instead, he led the way, looking back to make sure Iruka was still following.

"Don't worry, Naruto. And hey, first bowl's on me, ok?"

"Aw, you're not treating me?"

"I said only the first bowl. If I pay for the whole bill again, I'll go broke! I learned my lesson the first time."

"It wasn't that much, Iruka-sensei!"

"I beg to differ! Then again, how was I to know you'd eat thirty bowls in one sitting?"

"It was your fault for not asking."

"Yeah, yeah. I guess it was on me... In more ways than one." Iruka sighed. "Just to be clear, only the first bowl. Got it, Naruto?"

"Yeah, I heard you." Naruto was already sitting down and placing his order for the biggest and most expensive bowl of ramen he could find on the menu. He inhaled deeply, taking in all the spices and and tasty aromas in one breath. "Oh, man! How could I think about living without this?" There was no ramen out in the wild.

Iruka sat down beside him. "No home's complete without ramen, huh?"

"This is the best ramen in the world! Of course not!"

"Heh, a little slice of home, huh? Alright, I'll take a pork and miso ramen myself."

Naruto bounced in his seat, eagerly waiting for his favorite food. This scene brought back memories, too. Eating ramen with Iruka was nostalgic, too. Somehow, eating it with friends made it taste even better.

"Hey, sensei?"

"Yeah?"

"You sure we can't do the whole bill?"

"Not a chance."

"Come on!" Naruto whined. "We're celebrating!"

"I said the first bowl."

"How about two?"

"No way."

"I'll arm-wrestle you for it?"

"Nope."

"Aww!"

There was no place like home.

* * *

The End!

Yay! How did you like it? I hope it was good.

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